By TRH News Desk
An extraordinary investigation by a Class 12 student has reignited concerns over transparency, accountability and data security in CBSE’s largest-ever digital evaluation exercise involving 17 lakh students.
New Delhi, May 30, 2026 — In an age where investigative journalism increasingly emerges from unexpected corners, one of the most consequential examinations of the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) new On-Screen Marking System (OMS) has come from a Class 12 student.
Sarthak Sidhant, one among nearly 17 lakh students whose answer sheets were processed through the OMS this year, has triggered a debate that extends far beyond examination results. By analysing hundreds of CBSE tender documents and tracking revisions across multiple bidding rounds, he has raised uncomfortable questions about how Coempt Eduteck secured one of the most sensitive education technology contracts in India.
According to Sarthak’s findings, the OMS tender underwent three iterations between February and August 2025. The first reportedly disappeared from the public archive. The second was cancelled after all bidders, including major players, failed technical evaluation. The third eventually resulted in Coempt Eduteck winning the contract.
The significance lies in the alleged changes introduced between the second and third tenders.
Several qualification requirements were either allegedly diluted or rewritten. Clauses dealing with previous blacklisting, project failures, software maturity standards, ownership of source code, data centre infrastructure and accuracy thresholds were allegedly modified or removed altogether. Sarthak claims that these changes collectively lowered the barrier for eligibility while weakening safeguards intended to protect students and examination integrity.
What makes the issue politically and administratively sensitive is Coempt Eduteck’s corporate lineage. The company was allegedly previously known as Globarena Technologies, a name associated with the 2019 Telangana Intermediate examination crisis, where software-related failures led to widespread controversy over marks and evaluation.
The student-led investigation does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing. Nor does it prove that tender conditions were altered to favour any specific bidder. However, it raises a larger governance question: why were so many eligibility, security and quality provisions revised in the same direction during the procurement process?
Equally concerning are claims regarding cybersecurity safeguards. Independent researchers had reportedly identified vulnerabilities in the system shortly before implementation, raising questions about whether mandatory security audits and testing protocols were fully enforced.
The larger lesson extends beyond CBSE. As public institutions increasingly digitise high-stakes functions—from examinations to welfare delivery—the integrity of procurement processes becomes as important as the technology itself.
The debate now is no longer about software alone. It is about public trust. With 17 lakh students affected by the transition, demands for a Comptroller and Auditor General audit, parliamentary scrutiny and an independent review of the tender process are unlikely to fade soon.
Modi Faces Humour Offensive as Stand-Up Comedians Turn Critics
Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn
