Schools pressured to defend CBSE's OSM? Reddit post, PM Shri school videos spark debate

A Reddit post alleging that students are being pressured to publicly support CBSE's On-Screen Marking system has sparked debate online. Adding to this, a PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya school in Jaipur shared two videos praising the OSM process amid growing scrutiny over answer-sheet glitches.

In Short

• A viral Reddit post has intensified scrutiny around digital board evaluation
• Students reported blurred scans, missing pages and answer-script mismatches in scrutiny
• One verification case allegedly showed two candidates getting swapped Physics scripts

A fresh debate has erupted around CBSE’s controversial On-Screen Marking (OSM) system after students alleged that schools are forcing them to publicly defend the digital evaluation process online.

A Reddit post by a student claimed that teachers were asking students to upload Instagram stories and posts declaring they had “no problem with OSM checking” despite the ongoing controversy around the system.

The post read: “My school teachers are forcing us to post publicly on Instagram that I’m (name) and I have this percentage under CBSE board in this stream and I have no problem with OSM checking.”

The student further alleged feeling “traumatised” even after passing the examination.

Around the same time, two videos were shared by a PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya school in Jaipur on X in which one student and a teacher are praising the CBSE OSM system and highlighting positive student experiences with digital evaluation.

The student, who scored 96%, said in the video, "After getting my result, I felt that the marking was fair and transparent. My expected marks and my final marks are almost the same."

He added that his marks reflect the OSM checking system has accurate evaluation of answer sheets.

The timing of the video has now drawn attention online, especially as complaints related to answer-sheet discrepancies continue surfacing across platforms.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE OSM CONTROVERSY?

CBSE’s OSM system is a digital evaluation process where scanned answer sheets are checked online instead of being physically assessed by examiners.

The system was introduced to make evaluation quicker and more streamlined. However, several complaints have emerged after the declaration of Class 12 results.

Students have alleged issues including blurred scanned pages, missing answer-sheet pages, incorrect page mapping and answer-script mismatches during the post-result verification process.

In one reported case, two students allegedly received each other’s Physics answer sheets during scrutiny, raising concerns about how scripts were uploaded and tagged within the digital system.

At the same time, cybersecurity concerns around the platform have also surfaced after a young researcher claimed vulnerabilities in the OSM infrastructure and alleged that warnings had earlier been flagged to authorities.

WHY STUDENTS ARE NOW FEELING UNEASY

For many students, the controversy is no longer only about marks. It is increasingly becoming about trust and transparency in a high-stakes examination system affecting lakhs of students.

Online discussions now reflect a growing fear among students that criticism of the evaluation process may be discouraged at the institutional level. Some students on social media have claimed they were informally encouraged to share only positive experiences regarding OSM.

There is no evidence so far of any official CBSE direction asking schools to do this. However, the emergence of both the Reddit allegations and supportive school videos during the controversy has intensified the conversation around accountability.

As India’s board examination system becomes more dependent on private digital infrastructure and online evaluation platforms, students and parents are increasingly asking whether enough safeguards, transparency and oversight mechanisms are truly in place.

The claims made in the Reddit post could not be independently verified. CBSE has also not issued any official statement regarding allegations that schools are asking students to publicly endorse the OSM system.

- Ends