Signing you in

But amid the growing chorus of criticism, another, less obvious pattern began to emerge. Across social media, videos started appearing of school principals from different parts of the country speaking glowingly about OSM, often using remarkably similar language to describe its benefits.

That raised a question worth examining. Were these simply independent endorsements from educators who believed the new system was working well, or was there a broader effort to shape the narrative around a reform that had suddenly come under intense scrutiny?

To find out, India Today Digital reached out to schools across multiple cities, asking a simple question: had principals received any communication, formal or informal, from CBSE encouraging them to publicly support the OSM process?

The answers painted a more complicated picture than either side of the debate might expect.WAS THERE ANY ORGANISED OUTREACH?

To independently verify claims that schools may have been encouraged to publicly endorse the OSM system, we contacted principals from private and government schools across Delhi-NCR.

The responses were largely similar. Most principals said they had received no formal communication from CBSE, either written or verbal, asking them to publicly support OSM or participate in any coordinated campaign.

Similar conversations with school heads in Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai yielded comparable responses. Administrators said they were not aware of any official directive from the Board encouraging schools to release statements in support of the system.

This does not establish the existence of any official CBSE campaign or centrally circulated talking points.

However, it does raise the possibility that a common set of arguments in support of OSM may have been shared informally among some educators and school networks.

Students are seeking answers about answer sheets, scanned copies and evaluation discrepancies. At the same time, a growing number of educators are defending the digital system as an important reform that should be improved rather than abandoned.THE TONE IS STRIKINGLY SIMILAR

Most of the videos followed a similar format. They were short, direct and focused primarily on explaining the benefits of OSM rather than addressing the specific complaints raised by students.

In one such video, a teacher from Hyderabad the system as a major shift in evaluation practices.

"CBSE has introduced the OSM for the first time, which is a transition from physical copy correction towards digital copy correction. Under this provision 98 lakh scripts were scanned, digitised and evaluated. From the academic perspective and administratively this is a progressive step towards standardisation and efficiency in evaluation. The OSM system negates the errors in the manual correction system by automating total correction and score mapping."

A similar message appeared in videos released by school heads.

"CBSE's On-Screen Marking system represents a bold and necessary leap toward modernising how we evaluate our students. Like any transformative reform, the transition comes with teething challenges, and it is heartening to see the Board respond swiftly and with commitment to ensure no student suffers due to technical issues."

"This is not a moment to step back from digital reform, it is a moment to strengthen it."

Another educator described OSM as making evaluation "faster and accurate", while also referring to it as "error free", "efficient" and "eco-friendly" because of reduced transportation and handling of physical answer sheets.

Several recurring themes could be identified across the videos. These included references to transparency, accuracy, standardisation, reduced human error, faster evaluation and alignment with technology-driven reforms in education.

One Principal said the system was designed to improve transparency and accuracy.

Referring to concerns raised by students regarding blurred pages and unchecked answers, she stated that "CBSE was proactively addressing complaints and urged stakeholders to have patience and confidence in the process."

One more described OSM as a milestone in the transition from traditional evaluation to digital assessment.

She highlighted the digitisation of nearly 98 lakh answer scripts and argued that the system reduces human errors, improves standardisation and aligns with the goals of the National Education Policy.

At the same time, she acknowledged reports of blurred pages and technical glitches, urging students and parents not to panic. According to her, "CBSE's backend teams were actively working on grievances and discrepancies reported through the re-evaluation process."

A principal from CM Shri School in Rohini also spoke positively about the system. Referring to feedback from teachers involved in evaluation, the principal said concerns existed initially but that many evaluators later found the process easier.

Whether the similarities in these endorsements were the result of coincidence, professional consensus, informal peer networks or something more organised remains impossible to establish conclusively.

What is clear, however, is that the debate over CBSE’s Class 12 OSM system has now moved beyond questions of technology and evaluation. It has become a debate about transparency, communication and trust.

At a time when millions of students and parents are seeking answers about their marks, even the perception of a coordinated narrative can fuel further scepticism. For CBSE, rebuilding confidence may ultimately require more than defending a reform, it may require demonstrating, beyond doubt, that every question raised about it is being heard and addressed.- EndsPublished By: Rishab ChauhanPublished On: May 29, 2026 22:06 IST