Officials said these cases could not be fully handled through the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system and were later subjected to manual review.
The developments come as outrage over the CBSE Class 12 board results continues to grow, with students and parents questioning unusually low scores, unchecked answers, and possible discrepancies in marking.
Seeking to calm concerns on Sunday, Sanjay Kumar defended the board’s newly introduced digital evaluation process and said safeguards exist to address genuine grievances.
The assurance comes amid widespread criticism following the declaration of the 2026 Class 12 results.
Calling OSM “the global norm”, Kumar argued that digital evaluation helps improve consistency while reducing delays associated with conventional checking methods.
Out of nearly 98 lakh answer sheets evaluated this year, around 13,000 were flagged for correction and further scrutiny after discrepancies were identified during the checking process, according to School Education and Literacy Secretary Sanjay Kumar.
Officials said these cases could not be fully handled through the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system and were later subjected to manual review.
Amid rising concerns over evaluation accuracy, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has also revised its post-result review mechanism.
Students can now obtain scanned copies of evaluated answer sheets by paying Rs 100 and apply for verification or re-evaluation at Rs 25 per question — a sharp reduction from earlier charges that made the process expensive for many families.
The developments come as outrage over the CBSE Class 12 board results continues to grow, with students and parents questioning unusually low scores, unchecked answers, and possible discrepancies in marking.
Seeking to calm concerns on Sunday, Sanjay Kumar defended the board’s newly introduced digital evaluation process and said safeguards exist to address genuine grievances.
Kumar said that while the OSM-based assessment model was designed to improve transparency, consistency and speed in evaluation, the board has also established a detailed correction mechanism to deal with cases where errors may occur.
The assurance comes amid widespread criticism following the declaration of the 2026 Class 12 results.
The decline in the overall Class 12 pass percentage, from 88% last year to 85% this year, has further heightened anxiety among students and parents, many of whom fear that even minor evaluation mistakes could affect admissions, scholarships and future opportunities.
Defending the system, Kumar clarified that OSM is not entirely new. According to him, the technology was first introduced in 2014, although the digital infrastructure at the time was not sufficiently developed for widespread implementation.
He said the system has now returned with improved technological support and is already used by major educational institutions and examination bodies, including ICAI, IB and Cambridge.
Calling OSM “the global norm”, Kumar argued that digital evaluation helps improve consistency while reducing delays associated with conventional checking methods.
