The Supreme Court sought a status report from the Union government on alleged glitches in the Central Board of Secondary Education On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class 12 answer sheets in 2026. The matter is relevant for UPSC because it combines examination governance, administrative accountability, and the risks of digitalisation in large public systems.
A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant asked the Solicitor-General to report what steps had been taken. The court referred to the frustration faced by students and to alleged implementation failures in the evaluation process.
The petition was filed by Rakesh Binjola, who sought a fair and reasonable inquiry into alleged patent irregularities in OSM evaluation. The petition’s counsel said more than 17 lakh students appeared for the Class 12 examinations in May 2026 and cited a specific grievance in which an answer sheet allegedly could not be uploaded on the Central Board of Secondary Education website.
The court also noted that the Union government may frame OSM policy, but the facts and the government’s own acknowledgement pointed to implementation issues and teething problems. The Solicitor-General agreed to file the status report by July 24.
Background and earlier position
The court had earlier noted that a one-member probe committee chaired by S. Radha Chauhan, a retired Indian Administrative Service officer, had been appointed on June 2 and was linked to the Capacity Building Commission. The committee was tasked with finding the reasons behind technical defects and examining anomalies and faults in implementation.
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