NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, criticized the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for imposing various fees for re-evaluation, particularly when errors arise from the board itself. He stated, “When education is turned from a service into a business, mistakes aren’t corrected. They’re multiplied. And our children are paying the steepest price for it.”
Gandhi highlighted the financial burden placed on students, noting the fees associated with re-evaluation processes. He wrote on social media: “Beware of pickpockets – today they’re sitting inside CBSE. If marks come out wrong due to CBSE’s mistake, what do you get? A bill: Digital scan copy: Rs 100 per subject, Re-totalling: Rs 100 per paper, Re-evaluation: Rs 25 per question. A child might have to shell out up to Rs 2000 just to get their own answer sheet properly checked.”
He also raised concerns regarding the scale of applications submitted for re-evaluation, stating, “When 4 lakh kids have filed such applications, how much is CBSE raking in? When scanning was done with a phone, wrong marking is a given. And the child is footing the bill to get it fixed.” He added, “The mistake is CBSE’s. The punishment is the child’s. The earnings are the government’s.”
In addition, Gandhi intensified his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi concerning the CBSE Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) controversy, drawing attention to the plight of 18.5 lakh students allegedly affected by irregularities in the board’s answer-sheet scanning process. He pointed out that while Modi discussed various topics during his monthly Mann Ki Baat address, he did not address the issues faced by students whose answer sheets were reportedly mishandled. “This morning, the Prime Minister had time to speak about mangoes. He has not had time to speak about 18.5 lakh children whose answer sheets were scanned with phones,” Gandhi remarked.
In a bid to amplify his message, Gandhi shared a video featuring students questioning the government over the controversy. He praised these students, particularly a Class 12 student named Vedant, for their bravery in raising critical inquiries that, according to him, were met with insults rather than answers.
The controversy ignited when Vedant claimed that the Physics answer sheet alleged to be his was inaccurately uploaded by the CBSE. This claim resonated with many students on social media, resulting in numerous similar allegations.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh raised concerns about the privacy of students, alleging that Class 12 answer sheets had been exposed publicly. He described this situation as a significant breach of student privacy and warned that the data of millions of students could be at risk, labeling it “a data breach of monumental proportions” that compromises the privacy of approximately 2 million students.
