CBSE OSM row: Centre replaces chairman, secretary; orders probe into exam evaluation system

The Indian government has taken swift action following a major controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) onscreen marking (OSM) system. The board's chairman, Rahul Singh, and secretary, Himanshu Gupta, have been transferred and replaced by senior bureaucrats Prashant Lokhande and Varun Bhardwaj, respectively. These changes were reportedly made after Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervened in the escalating situation.

A probe has been initiated into the procurement of services for the OSM system, which has been plagued by glitches and allegations of irregularities since its full-scale rollout. The government has constituted a one-member committee, led by retired IAS officer S Radha Chauhan, to inquire into the matter. Chauhan, currently chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission, will submit her report within a month. Cybersecurity professionals from government agencies and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have also been deployed to strengthen the OSM portal.

The OSM contract was awarded to Hyderabad-based Coempt Edu Teck just 74 days before the Class 12 board examinations began. The opposition Congress has criticized the government's move, calling the transfers an "eyewash" and a "cover-up." Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and called for an independent judicial inquiry. Earlier, the outgoing CBSE secretary faced a parliamentary panel, where MPs questioned the OSM tender process, but received few direct answers.