Another CBSE Fallout: Student Gets ‘Essential Repeat’ Despite Good Attempt, Another Finds Answers Unchecked
India's education system is once again under intense scrutiny after fresh allegations emerged against the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) over the 2026 Class 12 evaluation process.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by editors
Days after the controversy surrounding mismatched answer sheets and digital evaluation glitches, another student has now come forward claiming he was wrongly marked "Essential Repeat" despite attempting all questions in his examination.
The incident has reignited public anger over CBSE's new On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, under which answer sheets were scanned digitally and evaluated on computers instead of being checked physically by teachers. This year, nearly 98.6 lakh answer sheets were assessed through the digital process.
Student Says He Was Wrongly Given 'Essential Repeat'
The latest controversy involves a student identified as Rajak Rehri, whose emotional video has gone viral on social media.
In the clip, the student questioned why he had been marked "Essential Repeat" despite answering every question in the paper. Speaking emotionally in the video, Rajak said:
"Mujhe essential repeat lag gaya hai, pata nahi kis khushi mein, par repeat lag gaya hai, jabki repeat nahi lagna chahiye tha, as maine saare questions ka jawab diya hai."
Folks plz comment what should Rajak do now? One full year of his life wasted. Go to Pakistan now? Shouldnt Dharmendra Pradhan resign? Say it clearly plz.
— RAHUL (@RahulSeeker) May 26, 2026
Not @VEDANTSHRIV17 alone. Rajak Rehri is also victim of this year CBSE 2026 who received an “essential repeat” result… pic.twitter.com/bR4DDKz0GY
He further demanded a rechecking of his answer sheet and expressed frustration over the re-evaluation fees charged by CBSE.
"Main toh chahta hoon ki meri answer sheet recheck ho jaye to pata chale ki kya hua hai, but main CBSE ko ek bhi paisa nahi dunga, kyunki main kamata nahi hoon toh main kyun doon aur kahan se doon?"
The video triggered strong reactions online, with several users comparing the case to the earlier controversy involving Delhi student Vedant Shrivastava, whose Physics answer sheet had allegedly been swapped with another student's paper.
Social Media Anger Grows Against CBSE
The issue quickly exploded across social media platforms, where users accused CBSE and the Education Ministry of failing students during one of the most important academic years of their lives.
One widely shared post questioned the accountability of authorities and directly criticised the system:
"If something happens to me, then the government and CBSE will be responsible."
Another social media user wrote:
"Not VEDANTSHRIV17 alone. Rajak Rehri is also victim of this year CBSE 2026 who received an 'essential repeat' result despite attempting all questions."
The post further criticised the digital evaluation process and highlighted the sharp fall in Class 12 results this year.
According to CBSE data, the overall pass percentage for Class 12 dropped to 85.2%, down from 88.39% last year - the steepest decline in seven years.
The social media post stated:
"Across schools in the country, students who have consistently scored above 90 per cent through school exams, pre-boards, and coaching assessments said this year's Class 12 board marks have left them shocked, confused, and emotionally shaken."
The same post also condemned the online abuse directed at students raising concerns:
"And when the students expressed their distress online? The response from our ITCELLIAS was labelling India's future aged maximum 17/18 as Pakistani. What kind of nation are we building?"
The post ended with a direct demand for accountability:
"Shouldn't Dharmendra Pradhan resign?"
Parents Accuse CBSE Of 'Playing With Students' Futures'
The controversy deepened after multiple parents shared detailed allegations about technical failures, delayed answer sheets and unchecked answers.
X user Geetu Moza posted a long message on May 20 criticising the board's handling of the new evaluation system.
She wrote:
"You have made a complete mockery of the education system and of the lives of lakhs of students and parents across the country."
She accused CBSE of introducing a completely new evaluation method without properly informing students and schools about the process.
"You treated students like experimental subjects instead of young individuals whose futures depend on these exams."
Geetu Moza further alleged that many deserving students received unexpectedly poor marks after years of consistent academic performance.
"Years of hard work were reduced to questionable evaluation standards and careless execution."
She also criticised the repeated technical failures on CBSE's portal during the rechecking and answer-sheet access process.
"'Under maintenance' became the standard response while students sat in panic, anxiety, and helplessness."
The emotional post also raised concerns over students' mental health:
"Do you have any idea what these children are going through? The mental trauma, sleepless nights, panic attacks, fear of losing college admissions, and emotional breakdowns inside homes across the country?"
Calling the situation more than mere incompetence, she added:
"This is not incompetence anymore... this is negligence."
Another Failure Of CBSE: Missing Pages And Unchecked Answers
On May 24, Geetu Moza posted again, expressing frustration over delays in receiving scanned answer sheets.
She wrote:
"You took the fee on the 20th and today is already the 23rd - yet we are still waiting for the scanned answer sheets."
According to her, the uncertainty was deeply affecting students preparing for competitive examinations and college admissions.
She added:
"Please wake up. The way this system is functioning, the future of India's students is at stake."
Later, after finally receiving the scanned copies, she claimed that one student was short by nearly 30 marks.
Her post read:
"Do you understand what that means for a Class 12 student whose entire college admission process depends on these scores?"
In another detailed allegation, she claimed that page number 22 was missing from one of the scanned answer sheets and that marks had not been awarded for several answers matching the official answer key.
The post stated:
"This is not a small administrative lapse. This is playing with the careers, mental health and future of thousands of students."
She further wrote:
"Shame on a system that continues to fail students. And shame on those at the helm who continue to remain silent while young lives are pushed into anxiety and uncertainty."
Complete mess. #CBSE
— Geetu Moza (@Geetu_Moza) May 26, 2026
My daughter finally received the scanned copies of 4 answer sheets and to our shock, page number 22 is missing from one of the documents. On top of that, marks have not been awarded for several answers that exactly match the official answer key. And this… https://t.co/yq3jJrCMXi
Questions Growing Around Digital Evaluation System
The controversy has intensified debate around CBSE's On-Screen Marking system.
The board had introduced the digital evaluation model this year to speed up checking and improve transparency. However, students and parents now allege that the system instead created confusion, technical glitches and widespread mistrust.
Complaints emerging from different parts of the country include:
- Blurry scanned answer sheets
- Missing pages in uploaded copies
- Unchecked answers
- Unexpectedly low marks
- Portal crashes during re-evaluation requests
- Delayed access to answer sheets
- Alleged mismatched answer scripts
The growing backlash has once again placed India's examination system under public scrutiny, especially after earlier controversies involving paper leaks and recruitment exam irregularities.
Trust In The System Continues To Decline
What has disturbed many observers most is not only the technical failure, but the emotional impact on students.
For lakhs of Class 12 students, board examination marks influence college admissions, scholarships and future career opportunities. Parents argue that even small evaluation errors can permanently affect academic futures.
As more students continue to question their results online, calls for transparency, accountability and reform within India's education system are becoming louder.
For now, students like Rajak Rehri remain stuck between anxiety, uncertainty and a growing belief that the very system meant to reward hard work may no longer be dependable.
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