The controversy surrounding this year’s CBSE Class 12 examination results has reached the doorsteps of the judiciary. The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress party, has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Delhi High Court, seeking an independent probe into alleged large-scale irregularities in the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
The petition, which highlights widespread anxiety among students and parents following a sharp decline in overall pass performance, is expected to be heard by a high court vacation bench on June 8.
Massive Glitches and High Stakes: The Core of the Petition
At the heart of the legal challenge is the digital evaluation framework implemented by the CBSE. The PIL argues that technical failures, scanning defects, and mismatch errors within the OSM system have unfairly compromised the academic prospects of thousands of students.
The student body asserted that the issue is not limited to an isolated group. To demonstrate the scale of the crisis, the petition cited CBSE’s own public statements. According to official communications, the online portal designed for requesting scanned answer sheets suffered severe technical glitches due to an extraordinary volume of traffic.
In a remarkably short window, the board received approximately 127,146 applications concerning 387,399 scanned answer books.
“This figure reflects an extraordinary level of concern and lack of confidence amongst students regarding the process,” the petition stated. “When such a large number of students seek scanned copies immediately after result declaration, the matter cannot be treated as a routine post-result formality.”
What the Students Are Demanding
Filed through advocates Rishav Ranjan, Ajay Chhikara, Omar Hoda, and Eesha Bakshi, the PIL lists both the Central Government and the CBSE as parties. The petition outlines several urgent demands to protect the future of the affected candidates:
- Independent Inquiry: A thorough, impartial investigation into the functioning and flaws of the CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) process.
- Manual and Physical Verification: Provision for physical verification and manual rechecking of answer sheets for aggrieved students, arguing that the current digital-only grievance system is inadequate.
- Portal Extension: A directive ordering the CBSE to keep its verification and revaluation portal open for at least one month.
- Compensatory Marks: The awarding of compensatory higher marks to students whose original answer scripts have gone missing or are rendered illegible and blurred due to scanning issues.
- Future Safeguards: The formulation and implementation of standardized, secure guidelines and protocols for any digital evaluation systems used in the future.
Academic Futures Hanging in the Balance
The real-world consequences of these evaluation discrepancies are severe. Around 111,000 students were declared unsuccessful in this year’s Class 12 exams, while more than 129,000 students have formally applied for verification and revaluation.
NSUI National President Vinod Jakhar emphasized that the administrative shortcomings of the board should not derail students’ lives.
“NSUI has strongly argued before the Court that students cannot be forced to suffer academic losses due to technical and administrative failures caused by a flawed system implemented by the examination authority itself,” Jakhar said in an official statement.
For many high school graduates, these marks dictate their immediate eligibility for university admissions, professional courses, and crucial academic scholarships. The petition warns that any delay or failure to rectify these errors could result in permanent, irreversible damage to the students’ career progressions and professional lives.
All eyes are now on the Delhi High Court’s upcoming vacation bench hearing on June 8 to see how the judiciary addresses the concerns of lakhs of anxious students nationwide.
