Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed the government's decision to transfer two senior CBSE officials amid the controversy over the board's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system a "cover-up", and demanded the dismissal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan along with an independent judicial probe into the matter.
The remarks came shortly after the Centre transferred CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta and ordered an inquiry into the procurement of services for the digital evaluation system following allegations of irregularities in the Class 12 examination process.
In a post on X, Gandhi questioned why the education minister had not been held accountable despite the administrative action against senior CBSE officials.
"CBSE Chairman, transferred. CBSE Secretary transferred. A one-member 'inquiry' committee, formed. And the real culprit, Dharmendra Pradhan, safe. Officials removed. Minister spared. This isn't accountability, it's a cover-up," he said.
The Congress leader reiterated his demand for the minister's removal and a judicial investigation into the controversy.
"Our demand remains the same: dismiss the education minister and conduct an independent judicial inquiry. These aren't some one-month-old internal files of the Modi government to be brushed aside," Gandhi said, adding that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi cared about the nearly 18.5 lakh students who appeared for the CBSE Class 12 examinations, Pradhan would have been removed already.
Earlier in the day, the government ordered changes in the CBSE's top leadership and announced a probe into the procurement of the OSM system, which has come under scrutiny following complaints from students and parents over the digital evaluation process.
According to an official, Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta have been transferred.
The Cabinet Secretariat also announced the constitution of a one-member committee headed by S. Radha Chauhan, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission, to examine matters relating to the procurement of services for the OSM system by the CBSE.
The committee has been empowered to seek assistance from officials of other departments and is expected to submit its report to the Department of Personnel and Training within one month.
Concerns over the OSM system intensified after students and parents flagged alleged irregularities in the digital evaluation process, including claims of answer-sheet mismatches and a lack of transparency in verification and re-evaluation procedures.