Amid Concerns Over CBSE's OSM System, Education Ministry Defends it as 'Transparent', 'Used Internationally' The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) faced widespread criticism from students, parents, and educators over the new on-screen marking (OSM) system for evaluating Class 12 answer sheets, which led to unexpectedly low marks in key subjects. Despite over 85% of candidates clearing the exams, the overall pass rate dropped by more than 3 percentage points compared to the previous year, sparking debates about the impact of the digital evaluation process. The Union education ministry defended the OSM system as a step toward greater transparency and efficiency, emphasizing its international adoption and technical advancements. The CBSE Class 12 results were announced on May 13, prompting immediate backlash from students and parents who attributed the decline in scores to the OSM system. Critics argued that the shift from traditional paper-based marking to a digital process had introduced errors, particularly in subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics. At a press conference in Delhi on May 17, Union Secretary of School Education Sanjay Kumar and CBSE chairman Rahul Singh addressed the concerns, highlighting the system's benefits and its alignment with global standards. Kumar and Singh explained that OSM was designed to enhance transparency by allowing answer sheets to be evaluated remotely, bypassing geographical restrictions tied to regional offices. Kumar noted that the system was already in use by national universities, foreign institutions, and boards like the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge.#central_board_of_secondary_education #sanjay_kumar #international_baccalaureate #rahul_singh #union_education_ministry
