SC asks CBSE to protect students affected by OSM evaluation in admissions

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to look into ways of safeguarding students whose admission prospects may have been affected by their class 12 scores following the introduction of the Board’s new On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, as per Bar and Bench.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was informed that some students had passed their CBSE examination but were unable to meet the minimum marks required for admission to certain entrance-based courses. The court was also told that some of these courses had already begun.

As per Bar and Bench, the petition before the court attributed the lower marks and scores to alleged irregularities in the OSM evaluation process. Taking note of the issue, the bench asked CBSE to examine the matter and determine how the affected student's interests could be protected.

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Courts asks CBSE to protect students

As per Bar and Bench, "Please find out how you can protect their interest," the Court said while adjourning the matter.

The Court was hearing a petition challenging the manner in which CBSE introduced the OSM system for evaluation of answer sheets. The plea claimed that the system was introduced for the first time in 2026 and that teachers were not given formal training before it was implemented.

As per the petition, CBSE issued a circular on February 9, 2026, concerning the OSM system. Another circular issued on the same day dealt with relieving teachers for the entire day to undertake evaluation through the system. A further circular dated February 14 concerned updating teachers' personal credentials and login guidelines.

Petition alleges gaps in OSM training

The plea stated that a February 18 communication directed teachers to finish mock evaluations and monitoring exercises as part of the OSM training process. However, the petitioner alleged that no official training was provided to the teachers concerning examination and evaluation through the OSM system, as per Bar and Bench.

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The petitioner claimed that the system was introduced without adequate formal information or training for teachers. The plea further alleged that the digital scanning process resulted in several irregularities, including pages of answer sheets not being scanned, illegible scans and answers or pages not being evaluated.

Digital scanning errors under challenge

According to the petitioner, these errors resulted in arbitrary evaluation and, in some cases, the non-evaluation of answer sheets. The plea claimed that the alleged issues in the evaluation process affected students across India and abroad and violated their rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.

As per Bar and Bench, the petitioner also stated that an application seeking a copy of his son’s answer sheet did not yield results as the answer sheet was not being uploaded on the CBSE website.

Plea links errors to pass percentage

The petitioner further claimed that the alleged irregularities had resulted in decline in the overall class 12 pass percentage. As per the plea, the pass percentage fell to 85.2% in 2026, a decline of 3.19 percentage points from the previous year and the lowest level in seven years, as per Bar and Bench.

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Petitions seeks relief for affected students

As per Bar and Bench, among the reliefs sought, the petitioner has asked for directions for re-evaluation or rechecking of answer sheets. The plea has also sought the quashing of alleged illegal disqualifications and permission for affected students to participate provisionally in subsequent admission processes.

The petitioner has contended that the alleged irregularities have affected a large number of students in India and abroad and could have consequences for their future academic opportunities.