Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal has formally contacted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing grave concerns regarding the significant discrepancies stemming from the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) newly implemented On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class 10 and 12 examinations. In his letter, Venugopal emphasized that the situation has spiraled into a crisis, with countless students across India and in Gulf countries facing undue stress and uncertainty about their academic futures.
Venugopal criticized the government's handling of the education sector, stating, "A government that cannot manage a simple secondary education exam, let alone cause the disastrous NEET fiasco, has no right to make tall claims of being a 'Vishwaguru.'" He highlighted the tumultuous experience students have endured due to the flawed digital evaluation process, which has reportedly led to thousands of errors in their results.
- Exorbitant re-evaluation fees — Students have reported being charged between ₹8,000 and ₹69,420 for revaluation requests, compounding their distress.
- Technical experts deployed — While the Education Ministry's initiative to bring in technical experts from IIT Madras and IIT Kanpur is a step forward, it does not address the fundamental flaws in the initial evaluation process.
- Deadline for re-evaluation applications — With the deadline approaching on May 29, students are increasingly anxious about missing critical opportunities for higher education.
In his letter, Venugopal asserted that the introduction of OSM has jeopardized not only the students' immediate academic prospects but also their mental well-being. He expressed that it is unacceptable for students to be forced to protest for their rights due to administrative failures. Venugopal concluded by urging the Prime Minister to intervene swiftly and facilitate a one-time redressal mechanism to ensure that no student is left behind in this crisis.
