Rahul Gandhi Targets CBSE Over OSM Contract, Alleges Tender Rules Were Relaxed To Help COEMPT Win

The controversy surrounding the CBSE Class 12 On-Screen Marking (OSM) system has taken a political turn, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raising serious questions about how the contract for the digital evaluation system was awarded.

In a detailed post on social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the eligibility criteria for the OSM tender were repeatedly relaxed before a company named COEMPT eventually secured the contract. He also demanded an independent judicial investigation into the entire process, claiming that the future of lakhs of students may have been affected.

The allegations come amid growing complaints from students and parents over missing pages, poor-quality scans, evaluation concerns and technical glitches linked to CBSE's new digital marking system.

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CBSE called for OSM tenders thrice. Zero bids the first time. No qualified bidder the second time. And finally, the technical bar was lowered until COEMPT could clear it.

Scanning resolution cut. Robotic scanner requirement dropped. CMMI… pic.twitter.com/pnkYvVcdrJ

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 29, 2026

What Did Rahul Gandhi Allege?

Rahul Gandhi claimed that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had to issue tenders for the OSM project three times before a company finally qualified.

According to him, the first tender reportedly received no bids, while the second round failed to attract any qualified bidder.

He alleged that the technical requirements were subsequently reduced during the third round, making it easier for COEMPT to qualify.

In his post, Rahul Gandhi wrote:

"CBSE called for OSM tenders thrice. Zero bids the first time. No qualified bidder the second time. And finally, the technical bar was lowered until COEMPT could clear it."

Changes In Tender Conditions Under Scrutiny

The Congress MP further listed several alleged changes made to the tender conditions.

According to Rahul Gandhi, these included:

• Reduction in scanning resolution requirements
• Removal of the requirement for robotic scanners
• Lowering of CMMI certification criteria from Level 5 to Level 3
• Removal of penalties related to answer-sheet errors

He argued that these modifications weakened the quality benchmarks originally intended for the project.

Rahul Gandhi claimed:

"Scanning resolution cut. Robotic scanner requirement dropped. CMMI certification lowered from Level 5 to Level 3. Penalties for errors in answer sheets removed."

Why Is The OSM System Facing Criticism?

CBSE introduced the On-Screen Marking system for Class 12 board examinations in 2026 as part of its biggest digital evaluation exercise.

Under the new model, answer sheets were scanned and uploaded digitally before being assessed on computer screens by evaluators.
Nearly 98.6 lakh answer sheets were processed through the system.

However, after the declaration of results, several students and parents reported issues including:

• Blurry scanned answer sheets
• Missing pages in uploaded scripts
• Unchecked answers
• Portal crashes during re-evaluation requests
• Delays in receiving scanned copies
• Alleged mismatches in answer sheets

The concerns intensified after some students publicly questioned their marks and evaluation records.

Rahul Gandhi Questions Selection Of Winning Bidder

Rahul Gandhi also questioned why COEMPT was selected despite what he described as a poor performance history.

He noted that Tata Consultancy Services, one of India's largest technology firms, had also qualified during the third round but did not receive the contract.

In his post, he stated:

"TCS, India's biggest IT services company, qualified in the third round too. TCS lost. COEMPT - a company with a spectacular track record of failure - won."
He linked the allegations directly to the complaints now being raised by students.
"And what are CBSE students complaining about today? Badly scanned answer sheets. Missing pages. A broken evaluation portal."

Teachers Had Raised Concerns Earlier

Rahul Gandhi also claimed that educators had warned CBSE against rushing the nationwide implementation of the OSM system.

According to him, many teachers believed the technology required additional testing and training before being used for high-stakes board examinations.
He wrote:

"Teachers had warned CBSE that the OSM system needed at least a year or two for further preparation before nationwide implementation, yet it was rushed through."
The issue has become a key point of debate as education experts continue discussing whether the rollout happened too quickly.

Demand For Independent Judicial Probe

The Congress leader renewed his demand for an independent judicial investigation into the contract allocation process.

Questioning the transparency of the decision-making process, Rahul Gandhi asked:
"Who wanted COEMPT to win? Who lowered the bar, step by step, until this company could clear it?"

He further argued that official statements claiming "due process" was followed were not enough.
"Pradhan ji and CBSE say 'due process was followed.' That is not an answer, that is not accountability."

Rahul Gandhi called for the scope of any future inquiry to extend beyond CBSE and include all contracts awarded to COEMPT.

Criticism Of Government And Education Ministry

In his post, Rahul Gandhi also targeted the Union government and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

He said:
"The futures of 18.5 lakh children were handed to a company that could only qualify after the rules were bent for it."

Addressing BJP leaders who criticised his remarks, he added:

"I have, from day one, demanded an independent judicial probe. Expand it from CBSE to every contract awarded to COEMPT. Our youth deserve the truth."
Rahul Gandhi also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over what he described as silence on the issue.

Debate Over CBSE's Digital Evaluation Continues

The controversy has added a new political dimension to the ongoing debate over CBSE's On-Screen Marking system.

While CBSE and the Ministry of Education have maintained that the digital evaluation process improves transparency, consistency and accuracy, critics argue that the implementation has raised serious operational concerns.

As students continue to seek clarifications over their results and political parties demand answers, the discussion around the OSM system is likely to remain at the centre of India's education debate in the coming weeks.