NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday praised Class 12 student Sarthak Sidhant and Nisarga Adhikary for raising concerns over the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) process.
Sharing a video of his meeting with Sarthak on social media platform X, Gandhi said the student had shown courage and determination in questioning the evaluation system used for Class 12 board exams.
सार्थक 18 साल का है – पर सोच, साहस और सिद्धांत में किसी से कम नहीं।
उसने और उसके साथी निसर्ग ने वो कर दिखाया जो देश के बड़े मीडिया हाउस, खोजी पत्रकार नहीं कर पाए – CBSE और COEMPT की मिलीभगत को देश के सामने रख दिया।
मोदी जी चाहते हैं हमारे युवा reels बनाते रहें, पकौड़े तलते… pic.twitter.com/vjNNVItc2q
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 7, 2026
Gandhi alleged that Sarthak and Adhikary had uncovered irregularities in the OSM tender process and brought the issue to public attention. He said their efforts highlighted the role young people can play in seeking accountability.
In the video, Gandhi asked Sarthak how he examined the tender process and identified the alleged irregularities. He compared the student’s work to investigative journalism.
Sarthak recently met Gandhi and later appeared before a parliamentary panel, where he presented his concerns regarding the OSM project.
The controversy relates to CBSE’s introduction of On-Screen Marking for evaluating Class 12 answer sheets. Questions were raised after some students claimed that scanned answer sheets uploaded for assessment did not match their handwriting, leading to concerns about possible mismatches in the evaluation process.
The Centre has taken action against senior CBSE officials amid the controversy and ordered an inquiry into the matter. The Congress, however, has demanded a broader investigation. Gandhi has called for an independent judicial inquiry and sought accountability from those responsible if any wrongdoing is established.
CBSE has not accepted the allegations of wrongdoing in the evaluation process and has maintained that the system was introduced to improve efficiency and transparency.
