Dharmendra Pradhan sends for IIT experts to resolve CBSE website glitches

New Delhi: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has decided to rope in professors and technical experts from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and IIT Kanpur to help the CBSE ensure a glitch-free re-evaluation process, an official said on Sunday.

Pradhan’s direction to involve IIT experts comes in the backdrop of concerns raised by students and parents regarding the CBSE post-result services portal which has allegedly crashed or remained inaccessible for filing applications for revaluation and seeking copies of answer-sheets.

The glitches have forced the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to repeatedly extend the deadline for filling revaluation applications and depositing fee.

Pradhan recently conceded hiccups in the new On-Screen Marking (OSM) system of the CBSE, saying that these were part of attempts to create a new system.

He said that creating a new system may face shortcomings, and only collective consultation and criticism can show the way forward.

A statement issued by the Ministry said on Sunday that the expert teams will implement focused technological improvements of the systems and technical workflows and specifically examine portal stability and server performance, the statement added.

The team will also examine the overall IT Infrastructure robustness and assist in taking corrective measures to ensure that login authentication/user access systems/payment gateways are accurate and in order.

Pradhan reiterated that student interests remain paramount, and all necessary corrective measures need to be undertaken by CBSE on priority to ensure a transparent, efficient and student-friendly system.

He dismissed the criticism of OSM, highlighting its benefits of error-free, scientific and uniform assessment in Board exams.

Pradhan said the time has come to admit lack of uniformity in assessment and award of marks to resourceful parents’ wards studying in an urban school and marks given to a meritorious student from a distant, rural school.

IANS