The Delhi High Court delivered a significant ruling on Friday, opting not to reopen the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) re-evaluation and verification portal for Class 12 answer sheets. This decision, made by a vacation bench comprising Justices Neena Bansal Krishna and Madhu Jain, was rooted in the court’s concern that reopening the portal could delay the announcement of final results for the students.

The court was responding to a petition filed by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), affiliated with the Indian National Congress, which alleged various irregularities tied to the recently implemented On-Screen Marking system. This petition was underscored by an increasing number of complaints from students regarding discrepancies in the evaluation process, with many claiming that the scanned answer sheets they received did not reflect their actual handwriting.

During the brief window when the re-evaluation portal was accessible, from June 2 to June 7, numerous students reported technical issues, including failures in the portal, delays in payment confirmations, and instances where they were charged excessive re-evaluation fees due to glitches. These issues have raised serious questions about the integrity of the evaluation process, which is pivotal for students as they seek to further their education.

Adding to the concerns surrounding the On-Screen Marking system, cybersecurity researcher Nisarga Adhikary took to social media to reveal vulnerabilities in the system. He claimed that a link to the OnMark portal was publicly available, exposing the platform to potential exploitation. His analysis suggested that the code could allow unauthorized access to examiner accounts, raising alarm bells about the security of the students’ evaluations.

In light of these developments, the NSUI’s plea aimed to address the ongoing issues with the CBSE’s evaluation process, which they argued could affect the academic futures of countless students. However, the court’s decision to refrain from intervening in the current evaluation process indicates a prioritization of timely results over further investigation into the irregularities claimed by the students.