The Congress party on Sunday alleged a major data breach involving the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), claiming that answer sheets of nearly two million Class 12 students were accessible in the public domain. The Opposition described the alleged incident as a serious lapse in data security and raised concerns over the handling of sensitive academic records. The allegations have triggered a political controversy, with demands for accountability from the Centre.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh termed the alleged incident a “data breach of monumental proportions” and accused the government of negligence in safeguarding student data. In a post on social media platform X, he criticised Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and referred to the situation as part of what he called “Mantri Pradhan’s Ministry of Scandals,” intensifying the political tone of the allegations. He further claimed that the breach exposed systemic failures in the digitisation process of examination records.

Ramesh also targeted the company reportedly contracted by CBSE for digitisation and evaluation work, alleging “incompetence and callousness” in the handling of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. He questioned the quality of scanning processes, suggesting that some answer sheets appeared to have been digitised using mobile phones rather than professional scanning equipment. According to him, visible imperfections such as folds and shadows raised concerns about procedural standards.

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The Congress leader further cited claims circulating on social media that a misconfigured cloud storage system may have allowed public access to CBSE files, including answer sheets and examination materials. He demanded clarification on whether proper cybersecurity protocols were followed during the digitisation and storage of sensitive academic data. The allegations have also revived scrutiny over the technical infrastructure used in the evaluation process.

The Opposition has intensified its attack on the government, with Congress describing the alleged breach as a mix of “incompetence, corruption, and callousness” in implementing the digital evaluation system. The party has reiterated its demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter, along with the resignation of the Education Minister. Congress leaders have also cited reports and student complaints questioning the preparedness of the CBSE system ahead of the board examinations.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue, alleging that the government has remained silent on concerns affecting the future of students. The controversy continues to grow as the government has not yet issued a detailed response to the allegations. The incident has placed renewed focus on data security practices in large-scale digital examination systems in India.

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