Subject:

Urgent demand for free-of-cost rechecking and re-evaluation of Class XII answer scripts evaluated under the newly introduced OSM (On-Screen Marking) system, 2026.

We, the undersigned students, parents, and citizens of India, respectfully submit this petition.

Background:

The year 2026 marks the first time in history that CBSE has evaluated Class XII Board Examination answer scripts using the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system — a fully digital process where physical answer sheets are scanned and assessed by examiners on computer screens, replacing decades of in-hand checking.

We want to be absolutely clear: we are not against modernisation. We understand that CBSE introduced OSM with good intentions — to reduce errors, improve speed, and bring consistency. We respect that goal.

However, this is a first-time implementation at scale. And with any first-time system, there will be errors. That is not a criticism — it is a fact.

Across the country, over 15 lakh students appeared for the Class XII Board Examination this year. These results will determine college admissions, career paths, scholarships, and the mental and emotional futures of millions of young people. Many of us have studied for years for this moment.

We are deeply concerned that:

Scanning errors may result in pages being missed, cut off, or poorly captured, causing examiners to miss entire answers.

Display and resolution issues on screen may make diagrams, handwritten steps, or rough work in science and mathematics difficult to read and fairly evaluate.

Examiner fatigue and screen-based errors are a real and documented risk, especially when evaluators are not adequately trained for on-screen assessment.

Technical glitches in a first-time national deployment of any digital system are not just possible — they are expected and inevitable.

Students have no way of knowing whether their papers were scanned correctly or evaluated completely.

This is not a hypothetical fear. Past CBSE result controversies — such as those seen in Odisha in 2017, and protests in Bihar and Patna — involved students who scored full marks in competitive exams yet received single-digit scores in board subjects. Those happened under traditional checking. The risks with an untested digital system are at least as significant.

Our Demands:

1. Free-of-cost rechecking for all students who wish to apply.

Currently, CBSE charges a fee for verification/rechecking of answer scripts. This year, given that OSM is being used for the first time, it is unjust to make students pay for errors that may have arisen from the system itself. We demand that all rechecking and verification requests for the 2026 Class XII result be made completely free of charge.

2. Full transparency in the scanning and evaluation process.

CBSE must publicly disclose how answer sheets were scanned, the quality checks performed, and what protocol was followed when technical errors occurred during the scanning or upload process. Students have a right to know how their futures were decided.

3. Option for re-examination for students with unexplained drastic drops in marks.

For students who receive results that are significantly inconsistent with their pre-board performance, internal assessments, and prior academic history — a re-examination option must be made available. Especially for students whose results affect their college admissions and scholarship eligibility.

4. An independent committee to investigate result discrepancies.

We request the Ministry of Education to constitute an independent review committee — including educators, student representatives, and technical experts — to investigate any systematic errors in the OSM evaluation process.

5. A public grievance window with guaranteed response timelines.

CBSE must open a dedicated, accessible grievance portal for OSM-related result disputes, with a guaranteed response time of no more than 15 working days.

Why this matters beyond just us:

Every year, students in India lose college seats, lose years of their lives, and in the worst cases, lose the will to live — over exam results. We are not being dramatic. The pressure that Indian students face is real, and it is documented. Mental health crises spike every year around board result season.

We are not asking CBSE to lower standards. We are not asking for marks we didn't earn. We are asking for the simple, basic right to know that the system which evaluated us did so fairly, completely, and without technical error. That is not too much to ask from a board that holds the future of over a crore students in its hands.

We are students from Science, Commerce, and Arts. We are from cities and villages. We are from different states, different languages, different backgrounds. But we are united in one thing: we deserve a fair evaluation.