CBSE OSM Row: Whistleblower Student Sarthak Sidhant Appears Before Parliamentary Panel, Raises Tender Irregularity Concerns

New Delhi (RNI) Class 12 student and whistleblower Sarthak Sidhant appeared before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports on Tuesday, where he presented his findings regarding the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) controversial On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.

Sidhant, who has been actively raising concerns since the declaration of the CBSE Class 12 results, highlighted alleged irregularities in the implementation of the digital evaluation mechanism as well as the tendering process associated with the OSM project.

Among the key issues flagged by the student were alleged changes in tender conditions related to poor performance clauses, blacklisting provisions, financial eligibility requirements, Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) criteria, and project qualification norms.

The presentation was made in the presence of CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh, School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Education and the board.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairman Digvijaya Singh said that the panel would carefully examine the concerns raised by students regarding the OSM system. He emphasized that student feedback would be taken seriously as part of the committee's review process.

During the meeting, CBSE officials also submitted a report to committee members outlining the board's position on the issues raised by students. The board informed the panel that the technical glitches reported on its portal had been rectified and assured members that students would have until June 6 to apply for re-evaluation of their answer sheets.

The controversy surrounding the OSM system has sparked nationwide debate, with students and parents demanding greater transparency and accountability in the digital evaluation process.