Rahul Gandhi Hits Out At Centre Over CBSE OSM Row Again, Intensifies Criticism

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has escalated his criticism of the Centre over the CBSE On-Screen Marking (OSM) controversy, asserting that personal attacks against him will not divert attention from what he described as a serious issue affecting lakhs of students. The exchange comes amid an increasingly sharp political confrontation between Gandhi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the evaluation process of the Class 12 board examinations. The controversy centres on concerns raised about the functioning and awarding of contracts related to the digital evaluation system used by the Central Board of Secondary Education.

Pradhan, responding to Gandhi’s allegations, accused the Congress leader of acting out of frustration following repeated electoral setbacks. He said Gandhi had consistently opposed major national initiatives linked to technology and scientific development, including Digital India and reforms in examination processes. The minister further argued that such statements risked aggravating stress among students already affected by examination-related anxieties.

In his remarks, Pradhan said Gandhi appeared to be “in a different state of mind” and suggested that his criticisms were politically motivated rather than evidence-based. He maintained that the government’s priority was to ensure stability and confidence in the examination system, especially for the nearly 18.5 lakh students who appeared for the CBSE Class 12 examinations. Gandhi, however, rejected these claims and doubled down on his allegations. He insisted that raising concerns about the OSM system was not political opportunism but a matter of accountability in public education administration.

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He questioned the awarding of contracts to private entities and cited past controversies involving firms linked to the evaluation process, arguing that transparency in large-scale digital examination systems is essential for maintaining public trust. He further stated that criticism directed at him would not deter him from continuing to raise the issue. According to Gandhi, the focus should remain on addressing procedural gaps and ensuring that students are not adversely affected by administrative or technological failures in the examination system.

The CBSE OSM row has become a flashpoint in broader debates over the digitisation of India’s examination infrastructure. While the government has defended such reforms as necessary for efficiency, scale, and standardisation, opposition leaders have raised concerns about oversight, vendor selection, and the robustness of safeguards against errors. As the political sparring intensifies, the issue has moved beyond administrative critique into a wider narrative clash over governance, reform, and accountability in India’s education system. For now, both sides remain firmly entrenched, with no indication of an immediate resolution to the dispute.

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