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PTC Web Desk: Amid growing anger over CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has responded to the controversy and assured students that strict action will be taken if any mistakes or irregularities are discovered in the evaluation process.

Speaking after a meeting with CBSE officials in Delhi, the minister said he was taking responsibility for the matter and promised that the issues would be resolved soon. “I take responsibility. It will be fixed and a solution will be found. We are working on it,” Pradhan said.

The minister’s statement comes after several students and parents raised complaints about the post-result process. Many students alleged that scanned copies of answer sheets were blurred, incomplete or had unchecked answers. Some also faced payment failures and portal crashes while applying for verification and re-evaluation.

Defending the digital evaluation model, Pradhan described the OSM system as a modern and student-friendly process that aims to bring more transparency in marking.

He said around 17 lakh students appeared in the examination and CBSE handled nearly 98 lakh answer sheets. According to him, each answer book contains around 40 pages, taking the total number of scanned pages close to 40 crore.

Calling the system a “progressive instrument”, the minister said similar methods are being used globally and the aim is to provide transparent access to evaluated answer sheets for students.

The issue has also entered the political arena after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi questioned the handling of the matter and sought accountability from the government.

Responding to the criticism, Pradhan said CBSE had already clarified its stand and assured that the process followed proper government procedures.

“I want to assure everyone that if any irregularities are found, no one will be spared,” he said.

The minister also urged political leaders and the public not to make statements that could increase stress among students already worried about marks and re-evaluation results.

Meanwhile, CBSE has extended the deadline for students applying for scanned copies of answer books and assured that all genuine complaints would be reviewed by subject experts.