Who is Sarthak Sidhant? Class 12 student stirs storm with CBSE tender allegations

At an age where most students are focused on exams, coaching classes and planning their future, a Class 12 student has ended up at the centre of a national debate on how India’s board exam system works. Sarthak Sidhant's detailed blog on CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system that examines official documents linked to the contract awarded for digital evaluation of Class 12 answer sheets, has triggered a national debate.

Several opposition leaders shared the blog on social media, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who raised questions over the process and demanded accountability from the government.

The controversy came at a time when CBSE’s digital evaluation system for Class 12 answer sheets was already under scrutiny.

Who is Sarthak Sidhant

• Sarthak Sidhant is a Class 12 student from Ranchi, Jharkhand, who came into public view after publishing a long blog analysing CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system and related tender documents.
• After appearing for his Class 12 exams, Sarthak asked for scanned copies of his answer sheets and noticed discrepancies in his marks.
• After students raised concerns about possible errors and transparency in the digital evaluation of answer sheets, he started examining the issue.
• His work focuses mainly on comparing different versions of CBSE’s procurement and tender documents available on public platforms.
• Sidhant has claimed that he identified multiple changes across successive rounds of bidding. He has pointed to modifications in eligibility criteria, performance clauses and certification requirements in the tender documents, which he says raise questions about the process.
• His findings are based on official records from public procurement portals and supported by technical analysis with the help of researchers and journalists.
• Sidhant has also appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, where he presented his findings on the OSM system and raised concerns about evaluation and tendering processes.

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