"Beware of Pickpockets": Rahul Gandhi Slams CBSE Over Re-Evaluation Fees And Marking Errors
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticised the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) over the fees charged for answer sheet verification and re-evaluation after board exam results.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi accused the board of making students pay for mistakes allegedly caused during the evaluation process.
His remarks come amid the ongoing controversy surrounding CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
जेबकतरों से सावधान – आज वो CBSE के अंदर बैठे हैं। CBSE की गलती से नंबर ग़लत आए तो आपको क्या मिलता है?
एक bill:
Digital scan copy: ₹100/विषय
Re-totalling: ₹100/paper
Re-evaluation: ₹25/सवालअपनी ही answer sheet की सही जाँच के लिए एक बच्चे को ₹2000 तक भरने पड़ सकते हैं।… pic.twitter.com/H0WS1xF6Zf
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 1, 2026
Using a sharp analogy, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Beware of pickpockets – today they’re sitting inside CBSE.” He claimed that students are being forced to spend money to correct errors that were not their fault.
After Hacker Flag, CBSE Admits Security Lapse In Digital Exam Records
According to Rahul Gandhi, students who want to verify their marks must first pay ₹100 per subject to get a scanned copy of their answer sheet. They must then pay ₹100 per paper for re-totalling and ₹25 per question for re-evaluation.
He said that in some cases, a student may end up spending as much as ₹2,000 to get an answer sheet properly checked.
The Congress leader questioned why students should bear the financial burden if mistakes occurred during the marking process.
He also referred to reports that answer sheets were digitally scanned using mobile phones, claiming that such a process could increase the chances of errors.
“The mistake is CBSE’s. The punishment is the student’s. The earnings go to the government,” Rahul Gandhi said. He added that when education is treated like a business instead of a service, students are the ones who suffer.
Rahul Gandhi also highlighted reports suggesting that nearly four lakh students have applied for verification, scanned copies, or re-evaluation of their answer sheets.
He questioned how much revenue the board could generate through these applications.
The criticism comes at a time when CBSE is facing questions over its On-Screen Marking system. Responding to the controversy, CBSE recently said it has closely monitored security vulnerabilities identified in the OnMark portal used for evaluation.
The board stated that cybersecurity experts from various government agencies and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have been working to strengthen the platform.
According to CBSE, the reported vulnerabilities have been contained, and additional measures are being taken to ensure the system remains secure.
