Jairam Ramesh slammed the CBSE for its compromised On-Screen Marking system, accusing it of protecting its contractor, Coempt Eduteck. He called Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan 'arrogant' and demanded his resignation over the irregularities.
Ramesh Slams CBSE Over 'Compromised' System
Amid controversy over its On-Screen Marking (OSM), senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Monday slammed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), stating that the board "finally acknowledged that the system has been compromised". CBSE had stated that it is closely monitoring the vulnerabilities in the OnMark portal, and an expert team of cybersecurity professionals was deployed to "fortify these systems".
Alleges Irregularities in Tender Process
In an X post, Ramesh flagged irregularities in the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the tender issued in August 2025, and questioned Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, calling him an "epitome of arrogance and incompetence". He further accused the central government of saving Coempt Eduteck, which provided the support for the OnMark portal.
Ramesh wrote, "After denying the cybersecurity vulnerabilities in its On Screen Marking (OSM) system for weeks, the CBSE has finally acknowledged that the system has been compromised. But what action is it planning to take against its contractor COEMPT? Not much. It appears that the COEMPT's benefactors in the CBSE and the Ministry of Education anticipated that COEMPT would not be fit to the task."
"In its August 2025 RFP, the CBSE had retained the power to blacklist vendors who were unable to deliver effectively. In September, the CBS(E) issued a corrigendum which took away its own power to blacklist these vendors. This is an inexplicable, government-backed attempt to save COEMPT, and it began even before COEMPT got the contract officially," he added.
Demand for Minister's Resignation
Further, he reiterated Congress' demand for Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation from the post of Union Education Minister. "How much longer will the nation have to put up with Mantri Pradhan, whose Ministry has overseen and enabled such unfathomable irregularities in its tenders, which have cost lakhs of students their mental well-being? Mantri Pradhan is the very epitome of arrogance and incompetence, insistent on putting his political agenda above and beyond any responsibility to the nation. The Pradhan Mantri has never been known to hold himself or his colleagues to any standard of probity or morality. But the Mantri Pradhan should follow his rajdharma and resign," the post read.
CBSE Rejects Allegations
However, on May 27, CBSE had rejected the allegations regarding the award of the contract to Coempt Eduteck. "CBSE rejects the allegations regarding the award of contract to Coempt Edutech. It is erroneous, misleading and not based on facts. CBSE has followed the General Financial Rules protocols scrupulously in the awarding of the contract to the agency. CBSE floated the RFP for Digital Evaluation of Answer books for Board Exams 2026 on the Central Public Procurement portal on 28.08.2025 and awarded the contract to the qualified bidder," the board said in a statement on X.
CBSE is facing mounting pressure following reports of technical failures in its post-result portal and discrepancies in evaluated answer sheets. (ANI)
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