Coempt Says No Technical Glitch In CBSE OSM System, Blames Human Error In Scanning Process

Coempt Edu Teck, the Hyderabad-based technology firm involved in the CBSE's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, has pushed back against allegations of technical glitches and security shortcomings. The company said recent complaints linked to answer-sheet access and evaluation were the result of isolated operational issues rather than any failure of its software platform or digital infrastructure.

Company Blames Scanning Process, Not Software

The clarification comes amid continued scrutiny of the answer-sheet evaluation process after reports that a student was allegedly provided access to another candidate's scanned answer sheet.

Responding to the allegation, Coempt said its internal investigation found no technological error in the system. According to the company, the issue originated during the physical scanning stage.

"We have identified the location and the individual who conducted the scanning. We have verified 100 per cent that, technologically, there is no error in this case," the company said.

The firm maintained that its software functioned as intended and that the incident should not be interpreted as a flaw in the OSM platform.

Response To Complaints Over Image Quality

Several students had also raised concerns over blurred scans and answer sheets that were difficult to read due to unclear handwriting or image quality.

Addressing these complaints, Coempt said such cases were being examined in coordination with the relevant evaluation authorities. The company added that efforts were underway to resolve issues wherever students faced difficulties accessing clear copies of their answer sheets.

The firm also denied claims that procurement norms had been altered to permit the use of inferior scanning equipment.

"The scanners used by Coempt are standard, industry-grade models utilised across the sector. We upgrade our hardware year-on-year and the scanning resolution is perfect," it said.

According to the company, nearly 95 per cent of applicants seeking access to their answer sheets had already received the requested documents, with only a small number of cases facing delays due to operational bottlenecks.

Firm Dismisses Security Breach Concerns

Questions over platform security intensified after a 19-year-old ethical hacker reported vulnerabilities in the system.

Coempt, however, said the reported access involved only a testing server and not any live production environment handling student records. The company stated that the server contained dummy data and internal test material and had been publicly accessible for testing purposes.

It further asserted that no student information was exposed and that its core operational infrastructure remained unaffected.

The company maintained that there had been no compromise of examination-related data and that all production systems continued to operate securely.

References Telangana Exam Controversy, Highlights National Presence

Coempt also addressed renewed discussions around the 2019 Telangana Intermediate examination controversy, which has resurfaced amid the current debate over its services.

The company said the matter had already undergone judicial scrutiny and pointed out that the Supreme Court had declined petitions seeking large-scale re-evaluation of answer sheets, compensation for affected students and criminal proceedings against the technology provider.

Highlighting its role in the education sector, Coempt said it currently delivers examination-related solutions to more than 35 universities and educational institutions across India.

Its services include digitisation of answer sheets, on-screen marking systems, AI-assisted evaluation tools and question-paper management platforms.