CBSE answer-sheet controversy: Coempt denies tech failures, says records open for scrutiny
New Delhi, June 18: Coempt Edu Teck, the Hyderabad-based firm at the centre of the controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary…
New Delhi, June 18: Coempt Edu Teck, the Hyderabad-based firm at the centre of the controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, has denied allegations of technological failures and security breaches, asserting that recent complaints arose from isolated operational issues rather than flaws in its software or infrastructure.
The company said it remains open to scrutiny by government agencies and regulatory authorities.
Student answer-sheet mix-up linked to scanning process
In a statement issued amid growing concerns over the answer-sheet evaluation system, Coempt clarified that a reported incident in which a student allegedly received another candidate’s answer sheet was traced to the physical scanning process and not to any software malfunction.
“We have identified the location and the individual who conducted the scanning. We have verified 100 per cent that, technologically, there is no error in this case,” the company said.
Company rejects claims of poor-quality scanning
Responding to complaints regarding blurred images and illegible handwriting in scanned answer sheets, Coempt said such cases are being reviewed in coordination with the concerned evaluation authorities.
The company also rejected allegations that tender norms were altered to permit the use of inferior hardware.
“The scanners used by Coempt are standard industry-grade models utilised across the sector. We upgrade our hardware year-on-year, and the scanning resolution is perfect,” the statement said.
95% of applicants received answer sheets
According to the company, nearly 95 per cent of students who applied for access to their answer sheets have already received them successfully.
Coempt acknowledged that a few bottlenecks had occurred but maintained that these were isolated cases and did not reflect systemic issues.
Response to ethical hacker’s claims
The company also addressed concerns raised by a 19-year-old ethical hacker who had reported vulnerabilities in the platform.
Coempt stated that the individual had accessed only a test server used for internal purposes and not the production system that stores or processes student data.
“It’s used for internal purposes, with dummy tests and has public access,” the company said.
The firm asserted that no student information or critical technical infrastructure had been compromised.
Reference to Telangana exam controversy
Coempt also responded to renewed discussion surrounding the 2019 Telangana Intermediate examination controversy, which has resurfaced amid scrutiny of its operations.
The company said the matter had been examined by the courts and noted that the Supreme Court had declined petitions seeking mass re-evaluation, compensation and criminal proceedings against the technology provider.
OSM system under scrutiny
The company has faced criticism following reports of alleged irregularities and security vulnerabilities in the system used for evaluating CBSE Class 12 answer sheets.
Coempt currently provides examination-related services, including digitisation, on-screen marking, AI-assisted evaluation and question paper management, to more than 35 universities and educational institutions across India. The company says it processes nearly two crore answer booklets annually.
