Brittas writes to Pradhan; seeks review of CBSE Class XII evaluation, revaluation process

Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas on Thursday wrote to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressing concern over the CBSE Class XII examination results for 2026, urging an independent review of the evaluation process, the revaluation framework and technical glitches affecting the answer-sheet access portal.

In his letter dated May 21, Brittas said widespread anxiety had emerged among students, parents and teachers following the declaration of the results and pointed to a drop in the overall pass percentage from 88.39 per cent in 2025 to 85.20 per cent in 2026.

The CPI(M) leader said the decline has been linked by several observers to the introduction of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, tougher question papers in subjects such as Physics and Mathematics, and stricter valuation patterns.

Brittas also flagged reports of students who had cleared competitive entrance examinations such as JEE and NEET but allegedly failed to secure minimum qualifying marks in Class XII examinations, saying such cases had raised concerns about the ''consistency, calibration and transitional preparedness'' of the new evaluation system.

While acknowledging that the OSM system was introduced to improve transparency and eliminate totalling errors, Brittas argued that the first large-scale implementation of such reforms required a ''compassionate and calibrated approach,'' particularly when the academic future of lakhs of students was involved.

The MP further criticised the existing revaluation mechanism, under which marks can either increase or decrease after reassessment.

He said the present framework creates a ''climate of fear and deterrence'' as students risk losing their original marks if the revised evaluation yields a lower score, discouraging many from pursuing legitimate re-evaluation requests.

Brittas also highlighted severe technical issues affecting the CBSE answer-sheet access and revaluation portal, citing reports of login failures, payment errors, repeated crashes and prolonged downtime during the application period.

Calling for urgent intervention, Brittas urged the Education Ministry to direct CBSE to conduct an independent academic and technical review of the OSM system, particularly in subjects where unusually high discrepancies and failures were reported.

He also sought consideration of moderation or normalisation measures during the transition to digital evaluation, revision of the revaluation policy to allow students to retain the higher of two scores, restoration and stabilisation of the portal, and extension of application timelines to ensure that students do not suffer due to technical failures.

''The academic future of lakhs of young students stands at a delicate and decisive juncture,'' Brittas wrote, urging the ministry to intervene with ''utmost urgency and sensitivity.''

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