CBSE contract value rose ₹10 crore for same workload amid marking row

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) awarded a contract for on-screen marking (OSM) with an estimated value of ₹38.46 crore, a ₹10 crore increase for the same workload compared to earlier tenders. However, a review of the documents reveals the actual work performed was valued at ₹25.39 crore, approximately 66% of the contract amount, despite the volume of work being only 42% of what was initially planned.

This significant financial discrepancy has fueled concerns about the transparency of the CBSE's procurement process. The issue has already garnered national attention, threatened students' academic futures, and resulted in the transfer of two senior CBSE officials. Reports suggest the process was rushed without adequate preparation or training, leading to what are described as tragic consequences.

Further examination of the tender documents shows that conditions were relaxed between the second and third tenders. Initially, a volume of 23.8 million answer scripts was anticipated, based on the expectation of using OSM for both Class 10 and 12. However, it was ultimately implemented only for Class 12. The technical requirements also saw modifications, with automated robotic scanning mandated in the first two tenders, but not in the third. The resolution requirement was also lowered from 300 DPI to 200 DPI.

Hyderabad-based Coempt Edu Teck Pvt Ltd secured the contract by outbidding Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) by a narrow margin in the technical evaluation. Coempt's financial bid was nearly 60% lower than TCS's, quoting rates between ₹24.75 and ₹25.74 per answer booklet, while TCS quoted between ₹53 and ₹65. Officials suggest that while including an estimated cost is desirable for informed bidding, the inviting entity must justify any increase in contract value for identical work.

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It is not compulsory to include estimated cost value in the tender document but it is desirable to enable bidders for informed decision. The entity inviting tender has to justify the contract value if it is increasing for the same quantity or same type of work.