CBSE debacle: Coempt edged past TCS in tech evaluation, lens now on tender design

NEW DELHI: The tendering process behind CBSE’s massive on-screen marking (OSM) project has come under sharper scrutiny after procurement records showed that Hyderabad-based Coempt Eduteck Pvt Ltd narrowly edged past Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in the technical evaluation before securing a decisive advantage through a sharply lower financial bid.

The scoring pattern has triggered questions among some procurement observers over whether the tender design disproportionately benefited firms with narrowly defined prior examination-scanning experience over companies with larger technology and systems integration capabilities.

The contract involved scanning and digital evaluation of around 9.9 million Class XII answer books under CBSE’s fully digitised evaluation system introduced this year.

Tender documents reviewed by TOI show Coempt secured 91 out of 100 marks in the technical evaluation, only marginally ahead of TCS, wh-ich scored 89. The two firms were closely matched across several parameters, includ-ing certifications, manpower strength, security compliance, disaster recovery systems and solution architecture.

The key difference emerged in the “past experience” category, linked specifically to scanning and distribution of subjective answer scripts for digital evaluation.

According to the technical evaluation sheet, Coempt received full marks while TCS scored zero in that category despite securing higher marks in the technical presentation and live demonstration segment.

Coempt also secured full marks for experience in handling large-scale digital evaluation projects and managing multiple evaluation centres simultaneously. TCS, however, got maximum marks under the turnover criterion because of its significantly larger financial scale and operational capacity.

The financial bids revealed an even wider gap.

According to bid documents, Coempt quoted rates ranging between approximately Rs 24.8 and Rs 25.7 per answer booklet depending on processing volume, while TCS quoted between Rs 53 and Rs 65 per booklet across similar categories.

The evaluated bid value worked out to roughly Rs 384.6 crore for Coempt compared to nearly Rs 951.3 crore for TCS — a difference of around Rs 566 crore.

Under the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) model adopted by CBSE, technical scores carried 70% weightage while financial bids accounted for 30%.

“A bidder with a slight technical edge and a substantially lower quote gains a major advantage once weighted scores are combined,” a former central govt procurement official said.

The procurement process has also drawn attention because CBSE did not finalise a qualified vendor in two earlier tender rounds before modifying certain technical conditions in a later request for proposal issued in Aug 2025.

Officials, however, rejected suggestions that Coempt was favoured.

CBSE sources maintained that the evaluation was conducted strictly according to the criteria laid down in the tender document and under General Financial Rules governing public procurement. Officials argued that the board had limited discretion in the technical round and Coempt fulfilled all eligibility requirements prescribed in the bid conditions.

“The company that met the technical requirements and secured the highest combined QCBS score was selected in accordance with QCBS provisions,” an official said.

The tender has acquired wider significance amid growing scrutiny of CBSE’s digital evaluation ecosystem and questions over the pace at which the nationwide OSM system was rolled out for the 2026 board examinations.