Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has enlisted technical experts from IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur to help the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) resolve issues affecting its post-result services portal. The initiative aims to ensure a smoother and more transparent process for students applying for answer sheet verification, marks review, and re-evaluation after board examination results.

According to officials, the expert groups from both IITs will review the overall functioning of the portal and suggest improvements to strengthen the system during high-traffic periods. The technical teams are also expected to recommend corrective measures wherever necessary to improve user experience and reduce service interruptions.

Dharmendra Pradhan directed officials to take all necessary measures to ensure that issues faced by students are resolved in a timely, transparent and student-friendly manner. Pradhan reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring transparency, accountability and a student-centric examination system, while assuring students and parents that all genuine concerns would be addressed effectively.

How We Got Here — The Complete Timeline

The OSM Controversy — What Is On-Screen Marking?

The root of the entire controversy is CBSE’s decision to introduce On-Screen Marking (OSM) for Class 12 evaluation for the first time in 2026.

CBSE has introduced on-screen marking for evaluating Class 12 board exam answer sheets. The board clarified that Class 10 answer scripts will continue to be checked in physical mode only. CBSE introduced on-screen marking to reduce the time required to transport answer books to evaluation centres in physical form.

How OSM works:

• Physical answer sheets are scanned after the exam
• Digital scanned images are uploaded to a secure server
• Examiners evaluate them on computer screens from home or evaluation centres
• Marks are entered directly into the system
• No physical movement of answer books after scanning

The problem GSTA flagged in February 2026: The Delhi Government School Teachers’ Association (GSTA) urged CBSE to hold implementation of OSM and implement it from the next session. GSTA said that while modernisation and digitisation are progressive and welcome steps, implementing a fully digital evaluation system without adequate preparation and structured training presents significant practical challenges. According to the teachers’ association, the majority of teachers have not been provided with structured and certified training in the CBSE Class 12 digital evaluation system.

CBSE proceeded despite these warnings — and the result has been an unprecedented volume of students seeking scanned copies to check if their papers were marked correctly.

The Political Firestorm — Rahul Gandhi’s Allegation

Since the CBSE Class 12 result declaration, the board has been under scrutiny over tampering with results. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that there had been “massive tampering” in the CBSE results and accused the Centre of failing to ensure accountability. He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the government had maintained silence despite the seriousness of the allegations.

CBSE has categorically denied any tampering. The meeting came after CBSE defended its digital evaluation system, saying the On Screen Marking System (OSM) process was backed by a “secure and robust IT platform.” The board said that the platform has been “tested and certified through empanelled security audits” and is supported by a “robust digital infrastructure” with multiple quality checks and safeguards for secure scanning and processing of answer books.

CBSE also issued a separate clarification to junk a social media user’s claim of breaking into the portal, stating there had been “no security breach.”

The political controversy has amplified anxiety among students — with many applying for scanned copies not because they believe in tampering but because they want to verify independently that their paper was marked fairly.

The Scale — 4 Lakh Applications Is Unprecedented

The CBSE portal for verification and answer books re-evaluation is set to begin today, with over 4 lakh students having applied for scanned copies.

For context: CBSE Class 12 had 18.59 lakh students in 2026. Over 4 lakh applying for scanned copies means approximately 1 in 4.6 students sought a copy of their evaluated answer sheet. This is an extraordinary figure — in previous years, the number of re-evaluation applicants was a tiny fraction of the total student pool.

Three factors drove this unprecedented demand:

1. OSM anxiety — students and parents unsure about the new digital evaluation accuracy
2. Political amplification — Rahul Gandhi’s “tampering” tweet made millions of students and parents question the result
3. Revised process — CBSE making scanned copies mandatory before re-evaluation (a student-friendly change that also made the process more transparent) naturally encouraged more applications

The Revised Post-Result Process — What CBSE Changed

After CBSE announced the Class 12 board examination results on May 13, several students and parents raised concerns regarding marks awarded in certain subjects. Questions were also raised about the accuracy of evaluations carried out through the Board’s On-Screen Marking system. In response, CBSE revised its post-result procedure on May 15. Under the updated process, students were first allowed to obtain scanned copies of their evaluated answer sheets before applying for verification or re-evaluation.

This is an important improvement over previous years. The old system allowed students to apply for re-evaluation without seeing their answer sheet — meaning they were essentially applying blind. The new process:

1. Get scanned copy first → See exactly what was written and how it was marked
2. Apply for verification → CBSE checks totalling and transcription errors
3. Apply for re-evaluation → Examiner re-checks your paper (only after seeing scanned copy)

How to Apply for Scanned Copy, Verification & Re-evaluation

Step 1 → Visit cbse.gov.in → Click “Post Result Services 2026”

Step 2 → Login with your Roll Number and School Number

Step 3 → Select the service you want:

• Scanned Copy — To view a digital image of your evaluated answer sheet
• Verification of Marks — To check for totalling and transcription errors
• Re-evaluation — To have your answer sheet re-checked by a different examiner (requires scanned copy first)

Step 4 → Select the subject(s) for which you want the service

Step 5 → Pay the applicable fee (check cbse.gov.in for current fee schedule)

Step 6 → Submit and download the confirmation receipt

Portal may be slow — with 4 lakh+ applications and IIT experts working on fixing the system, try accessing early morning (5–7 AM) or late night (11 PM–1 AM) when traffic is lowest.

Should YOU Apply? — A Quick Decision Guide

Apply for scanned copy if:

• Your marks in any subject seem significantly lower than expected
• You consistently performed better in class tests/practicals
• Your aggregate is just below a key college admission cutoff
• You want peace of mind about your paper’s evaluation

Apply for verification if (after seeing scanned copy):

• You can see clear totalling errors (marks added incorrectly)
• You can see marks entered in the system don’t match what’s written on the paper

Apply for re-evaluation if:

• After seeing the scanned copy, you believe specific answers were under-marked
• You have academic evidence to support your answers being correct

Do not apply blindly — re-evaluation fees are significant and non-refundable. Use the scanned copy to make an informed decision.

What This Means for Delhi Students Specifically

Delhi government school teachers — through GSTA — were among the earliest to flag OSM problems in February 2026. Their warnings went unheeded. Now, with:

• Delhi being home to hundreds of CBSE-affiliated schools
• Delhi students appearing in 18.59 lakh total CBSE Class 12 examinees
• JAC Delhi counselling 2026 running simultaneously (DTU, NSUT, IIIT-Delhi cutoffs affected by marks)
• DU admissions (CUET-based, but Class 12 marks being a parallel factor for some courses)

The stakes are especially high for Delhi students whose CBSE Class 12 marks directly affect admission to the most competitive engineering and undergraduate seats in the country.