India reshuffles CBSE leadership after exam marking controversy

NEW DELHI: Indian authorities have reassigned the top leadership of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) after problems linked to the marking of examinations taken by nearly two million high school students triggered anger and calls for protests.

According to an official order issued late on Tuesday, CBSE chairman Rahul Singh and secretary Himanshu Gupta were transferred to other government departments. The move follows a widening controversy over this year’s Class 12 examinations, in which about 1.8 million students appeared.

The latest dispute began after 19-year-old cybersecurity researcher Nisarga Adhikary alleged last month that weaknesses in a newly introduced digital marking system could affect grading. The CBSE had rolled out the online marking system this year, saying it was intended to improve accuracy and efficiency in the declaration of results.

However, many students said the system produced incorrect grades and, in some cases, sent results to the wrong students. The board later acknowledged cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the system and said it had contained the issues that were identified. It also opened a re-evaluation portal for students who said their grades were wrong.

Protest calls gather momentum

Public criticism of the CBSE has continued to build. Young Indians are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while the satirical online group Cockroach Janta Party has called for peaceful protests in New Delhi on Saturday.

Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old Boston University graduate associated with the online movement, said he would travel back to India to lead the demonstration. The parody group, whose name echoes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, has attracted millions of followers on social media since it was launched last month.

Sonam Wangchuk, 59, an activist from Ladakh, has also said he will join the protests. Wangchuk spent six months in detention after being arrested in September following deadly protests seeking autonomy for the Himalayan region.

Another exam controversy

The CBSE episode comes soon after a separate examination scandal involving India’s nationwide medical college entrance test. Last month, authorities cancelled that exam after investigators found that the question paper had been leaked.

Indian media also reported suicides of teenagers following the controversy over the National Eligibility Entrance Test, one of the country’s most competitive examinations and one that draws millions of candidates. The exam has been scheduled again for later this month.

In that case, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation said it had arrested the alleged kingpin behind the leak, identifying him as a chemistry lecturer who was involved in the examination process on behalf of the National Testing Agency.