CBSE OSM row puts Hyderabad-based Coempt Edu Tech under scrutiny again; firm was linked to 2019 Telangana exam controversy

In 2019, nearly 40 per cent, over over 3.8 lakh students of the 9.7 lakh candidates who appeared for the state intermediate examinations failed, triggering widespread outrage.

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad-based Coempt Edu Tech, currently under fire over CBSE's digital evaluation platform following multiple complaints, is no stranger to controversy.

The firm's troubled history dates to 2019, when it operated under the name Globarena Technologies Private Limited and had been engaged by the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education to digitise examination administration.

That year, nearly 40 per cent, over over 3.8 lakh students of the 9.7 lakh candidates who appeared for the state intermediate examinations failed, triggering widespread outrage. More than 20 students were reported to have committed suicide in the aftermath.

Within six months of the fallout, the firm rebranded as Coempt Edu Tech Private Limited.

Legal challenges followed, but the company emerged unscathed. Both the High Court and the Supreme Court declined to hold it liable. The apex court noted that of the 3.8 lakh students who had failed, fewer than 1,200 had been incorrectly assessed, a margin it deemed insufficient to warrant criminal proceedings, compensation, or a broader re-evaluation.

Attempts by DH to reach Coempt Edu Tech, CEO VSN Raju for comment were unsuccessful. Those close to him dismissed the latest allegations as isolated incidents involving no more than a handful of cases, maintaining that the platform had performed as intended.

The row has since drawn sharp reactions. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on social media that CBSE had awarded the contract without due diligence, flouting procurement norms, and suggested an improper relationship between the company and the ruling establishment. CBSE rejected the claims.

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal hit back, accusing Gandhi of selective outrage. He cited multiple contracts Coempt Edu Tech had secured from universities in Congress-governed Telangana and Karnataka including agreements signed as recently as November 2025 and questioned whether Gandhi's objections extended to his own party's state governments.

"Wild allegations, no evidence, no accountability," Goyal said in a social media post, adding that the Congress's pattern of "scripted outrage" had worn thin with voters.