Rs 100 fee for Class 12 answer sheet copy jumps to Rs 69,420; CBSE cites ‘unauthorised interference’

Mumbai: Class 12 students applying for photocopies of their answer booklets on CBSE’s website were left unsettled by glitches Thursday through Friday after the fee for the service first plunged by 99% and later skyrocketed to Rs 69,420. CBSE said the portal had seen several attempts of “unauthorised interference” over the past few days and extended the deadline for obtaining scanned photocopies from Saturday to Sunday.

The fee on the photocopy verification re-evaluation service portal first dropped from Rs 100 to just Re 1 late at night and then rose to Rs 69.67. By Friday morning, the number zoomed to Rs 8,000. Closer to noon, it surged to Rs 69,420.

For many already grappling with the stress of board exam results and decisions around re-evaluation, the erratic pricing deepened confusion and concern. Through the day, social media saw a steady stream of complaints from students and parents flagging inconsistent fees and repeated technical failures.

Alleging that the site was “hacked”, a social media user, Sarthak Sidhant, said in a post, “...students were scammed. Last night, the price was changed to Re 1, then to Rs 69.67 and now to Rs 8,000 and as of 3 minutes ago, Rs 69,420 for each subject.”

By 4pm, the board issued a notification: “The CBSE website has been facing unprecedented traffic over the past few days and has also encountered several attempts of unauthorised interference, making it prone to disruptions.” It said it was extending the last date for obtaining the scanned photocopies of Class 12 exams’ answer sheets “to ensure that no student is left behind”. “...students will have up to two days after receiving the scanned copy of their answer book to apply for the next step of verification of issues observed/re-evaluation. Candidates are advised to make use of the extended timeline and apply accordingly,” it said.

Amid the confusion, an aggrieved parent wrote to the PM’s office, raising concerns over alleged repeated technical failures in the re-evaluation process. The parent pointed out that the schedule for the first stage of re-evaluation had already been revised once—from May 18-22 to May 19-22—before further disruptions followed. Even after CBSE issued a notice on May 20 extending the deadline to May 23 and said the portal would reopen at 2pm after a “technical glitch”, the system reportedly remained inaccessible well past 3.15pm, said the parent.