CBSE re-evaluation chaos escalates; Centre seeks report over server failures, payment glitches

The controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) post-result review process intensified on Saturday after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan sought a detailed report from the Board over widespread technical failures, including server crashes and payment gateway disruptions during the re-evaluation process.

According to reports, the minister has asked the CBSE to explain the reasons behind the breakdown, assess whether adequate preparedness measures were in place, and fix accountability for agencies handling the Board’s digital re-evaluation system.

The intervention comes amid mounting complaints from students and parents following the declaration of CBSE Class 12 results on May 13.

Payment errors, portal crashes trigger fresh backlash

In its latest clarification, CBSE admitted that some students were charged excess fees during the re-evaluation application process, while others paid less than the required amount because of technical issues.

The Board stated that excess payments would be refunded. In cases where lower payments were processed, students would be contacted separately regarding the balance amount.

Students across the country have reported repeated portal failures, payment confirmation delays and difficulties accessing scanned copies of evaluated answer books.

On-screen marking system faces sharp scrutiny

The crisis has put CBSE’s newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system under intense scrutiny. A large number of Class 12 students alleged that their scores were significantly lower than expected after this year’s results were announced. Concerns deepened after scanned copies of answer sheets became available.

Students and parents claimed that several answer-book scans were blurred or incomplete. Others alleged that answers had been left unchecked, while some pointed to suspected errors in totalling and marking.

The complaints triggered widespread criticism on social media, with many questioning the reliability of the Board’s digital evaluation system.

CBSE says over 886 lakh answer sheets evaluated

Defending the process, CBSE said more than 886 lakh answer sheets had been evaluated under the OSM system this year. The Board stated that students were allowed to obtain scanned copies of evaluated answer books before applying for verification or re-evaluation, as per existing rules.

CBSE also said that answer sheets flagged for review are examined by subject experts to ensure fairness and accuracy.

However, the Board acknowledged that an “extremely large” number of applications within a short time led to heavy traffic on the portal.

It further admitted receiving complaints related to portal access issues, delayed payment confirmations, blurred or missing pages in scanned copies, and concerns over unmarked or incorrectly marked responses.

Deadline extended amid rising complaints

Facing pressure over the growing number of complaints, CBSE extended the last date for applications to May 24. The Board also announced that the portal for re-evaluation requests would remain open for two days after the final scanned copy is dispatched.

At the same time, CBSE urged students not to make repeated payment attempts where confirmation remained pending, warning that duplicate transactions could lead to further delays.

The Board also appealed to parents and students to rely only on official communication and avoid misinformation during the post-result process.