CBSE students demand grace marks, fee waiver over evaluation errors

Pune: Several CBSE Std XII students across the country have launched a coordinated demand for grace marks and a complete waiver of verification and re-evaluation fees, claiming that technical problems linked to the board’s new On-Screen Marking (OSM) system led to unusually low scores, unchecked answers and delayed access to answer sheets at a crucial stage of the admission season.The demand came as students applying for engineering, medical, commerce and overseas university programmes said they were facing uncertainty over admissions while waiting for scanned answer sheets, verification results and re-evaluation outcomes.Many argued that they should not be forced to pay to correct errors they believed originated within the evaluation process itself. By June 5, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had received over 60,000 applications for verification and re-evaluation from across the country.“We are not asking for free marks. We are asking for fairness. If there were scanning or evaluation issues, students should not have to pay to discover them. Many of us are already missing admission deadlines,” said Ananya Sharma from Delhi.Across social media platforms, student groups have been sharing screenshots of answer sheets, mark comparisons and re-evaluation applications, with hashtags demanding justice for affected candidates gaining traction. Parents’ associations said the issue has moved beyond individual grievances and now concerns confidence in the evaluation system itself.For science students, the stakes are particularly high. Several candidates preparing for admission through JEE and other entrance examinations said even a difference of two to five marks in Physics, Chemistry or Mathematics can affect eligibility, merit rankings and counselling options.“I scored consistently above 85% in school examinations and mock tests, but my board marks were far below expectations. Now I am paying for answer sheets and re-evaluation while counselling schedules are approaching,” said Harshit Rana from Lucknow.Students and parents also pointed to the financial burden involved. Although CBSE has reduced fees for obtaining scanned answer sheets, verification and re-evaluation, many families said any charge is unfair if the complaints stem from evaluation-related problems.“My daughter has applied for verification in three subjects. The issue is not whether the fee is Rs 700 or Rs 100. Why should students pay at all if they suspect the system failed them?” said Gurugram parent Meenakshi Arora.Education consultants handling overseas university admissions said that uncertainty about final marks is creating difficulties for students with conditional offers.“Universities abroad want final confirmed scores within a fixed timeline. Several students are unable to complete admission formalities because they are waiting for re-evaluation outcomes,” said Ankit Arora, an admissions advisor from Pune who works with students applying to institutions in Canada, Australia and the UK.Coaching institutes and teacher groups have also called for greater transparency. Some educators have urged CBSE to conduct an independent audit of complaints and publish data on the number of answer sheets corrected after verification and re-evaluation.Varsha Mate, a member of the Association of Parents of Private Schools in Maharashtra, said, “We have written to CBSE demanding a one-time relief package that includes grace marks for affected students, a complete waiver of post-result fees and an extension of admission-related documentation deadlines wherever possible.”CBSE has maintained that the OSM system incorporates multiple quality checks and has defended the digital evaluation process as a step towards greater efficiency and transparency. The board has also reduced post-result charges and extended certain timelines following reports of technical issues.For students, however, the concern remains immediate.“Every day matters right now. College admissions are underway. Scholarship deadlines are approaching. If mistakes have occurred, they need to be corrected quickly. Our future cannot remain stuck in a re-evaluation queue,” said Mumbai student Sneha Gupta.