Rahul Gandhi alleges ‘CBSE scam’, seeks judicial probe and SIT into OSM controversy

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday accused the Centre of presiding over a major irregularity in the CBSE examination process, alleging that the board's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system controversy amounted to a “scam” and demanding a judicial inquiry and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe to uncover the truth.

In a sharply worded post on X and a video statement, Gandhi claimed that the results of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examinations had been tainted by large-scale discrepancies, leaving students and parents across the country distressed and uncertain about the evaluation process.

“The CBSE examination results have been marred by massive irregularities, leaving millions of students across the country and their parents in a state of shock,” Gandhi said.

“And Modi ji? As always — no answers, no accountability and no shame,” he added.

Questions over contract award

The Congress leader centred his attack on COEMPT, the company entrusted with operating the OSM system, alleging that it had previously faced controversy while functioning under the name Globarena.

Claiming that similar issues had surfaced in Telangana in 2019, Gandhi questioned why the company was awarded the CBSE contract despite its past record.

“The name changed but the intent remained the same; the nature remained unchanged,” he alleged.

“Its history was a matter of public record, yet the contract was awarded regardless. The future of 18.5 lakh students was handed over to such a company and yet no one seemed to care. This is not a mistake — it is a calculated conspiracy,” Gandhi claimed.

He posed a series of questions to the government, asking why the contract was awarded to COEMPT, who authorised the decision, whether mandatory procedures were bypassed and why adequate background verification was allegedly not carried out.

“What precisely is the nature of the relationship between COEMPT's management and the Modi government?” Gandhi asked.

Demand for judicial inquiry

Calling for an independent investigation, the former Congress president demanded the immediate constitution of a judicial commission and a Special Investigation Team.

“We demand the immediate constitution of an independent judicial inquiry and a Special Investigation Team to unearth the truth behind this entire scam and expose the real culprits,” he said.

Addressing students directly, Gandhi said, “To our Gen Z friends taking the CBSE exams — no one will be able to steal the fruits of your hard work or your future. We will get to the bottom of this conspiracy and root out this corruption once and for all.”

Congress escalates attack on Centre

The controversy has intensified after some Class 12 students alleged discrepancies in their marks and claimed that scanned answer sheets uploaded by CBSE did not match their handwriting, raising concerns about possible answer-sheet mismatches under the OSM system.

The Congress also sharpened its criticism of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, reiterating its demand for his resignation.

In a statement, the party said the minister's decision to remain in office and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's continued support for him were “shameful”.

CBSE sources, meanwhile, said the board was treating all complaints related to the issue on priority and examining each grievance received from students and parents.