'No answers, no accountability, no shame': Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi over 'tampering' of CBSE exam results

New Delhi: Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday questioned the CBSE decision to engage a company for ‘On Screen Marking’ (OSM) of answer sheets despite its dismal record in Telangana earlier and demanded a judicial inquiry and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe to bring the culprits involved in what created a mess of CBSE results.

He claimed that there has been a "massive tampering" in the CBSE exam results, leaving millions of children across the country and their parents in shock, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi "as always" has "no answers, no accountability (and) no shame". CBSE rejected the allegations but Rahul said “a denial is not an answer”.

Posting a video on the issue on ‘X’, he said no one would be able to steal the hard work and future of the “Gen Z friends”, as he committed to “dig the root of this conspiracy and uproot corruption once and for all”.

He said CBSE students and their parents are anxious and have been traumatised, as “unbelievable” details are emerging about the exam.

His comments came as a large number of students, who received marks lower than what was anticipated, found out that their papers were evaluated properly because they were not scanned properly and marks were not entered correctly.

In the video, Rahul said the company Coempt Edutech, which was handed the responsibility of OSM, had already “pulled off the same stunt” in Telangana in 2019 under the name Globarena. Similar complaints were raised then.

“The name has been changed – but the intent is the same, the nature is the same. Everyone knew the history, yet the contract was still awarded. The future of 1.85 million children was handed over to such a company and no one batted an eye. This isn't a mistake, it's a deliberate conspiracy,” he said.

He said it was in public domain that Coempt in a different name had conducted a similar exercise in Telangana in 2019. 

“It was known to everybody and yet for some hidden reason, the CBSE chose the same company again. It took us 30 seconds to figure out that this company was earlier called something else. I am absolutely certain that the people in CBSE and the government were aware of this company's background,” he said.

Urging CBSE students and their parents to share his video, he said they should ask the government and the Prime Minister why and by whom was Coempt given the CBSE contract. They should also ask “which procedures were circumvented to give Coempt this contract” and “why didn't the CBSE figure this out and why were no background checks done?” he said.

“Third and most important, what is the exact relationship between Coempt management and the Modi government?...An independent judicial probe and an SIT are required to find out the real culprits behind this crime. We stand with the students and we are to help and protect you in any way we can,” he said.

CBSE said it "rejects" the allegations regarding the award of contract to Coempt Edutech, claiming it "erroneous, misleading and not based on facts". It said it has followed the General Financial Rules protocols scrupulously in the awarding of the contract to the agency.

Rahul hit back saying "a denial is not an answer" and asked why the Education Minister and CBSE are unable to answer the simple questions he has asked. "The future of 18.5 lakh students has been put in jeopardy. They deserve the truth," he said.