Rahul Gandhi meets students in CBSE evaluation dispute, questions ‘anti-national’ labels

Sharing a video of his interaction with Delhi student Vedant Srivastava and others on X, Gandhi said the students had asked “simple questions” of the CBSE and the Modi government but received “insults instead of answers".

“A revealing chat with my fellow ‘anti-national Soros agents’,” Gandhi wrote, describing the students as “brilliant, brave young Indians” who deserved “a bright and secure future.”

The remarks come amid mounting scrutiny over CBSE’s first-time implementation of its On-Screen Marking (OSM) system after several students alleged discrepancies in answer-sheet uploads and evaluation records.

In the video, Gandhi joked with the students about the online backlash they faced after raising concerns over the examination process.

Referring to accusations circulated on social media, Gandhi asked whether they had also been labelled “terrorists.” Vedant’s elder brother, Siddhant Srivastava, replied that they had faced a wave of attacks after publicly questioning the board’s handling of the matter.

He said some critics attempted to portray them as “deep state agents” seeking to create unrest rather than address the substance of their complaints.

Laughing at the allegations, Gandhi remarked that it was extraordinary for teenagers to be portrayed as part of an international conspiracy, urging the camera to show the faces of the students who had been subjected to such accusations.

The reference to “Soros agents” alluded to a common allegation made by sections of the Hindutva right against critics and activists, invoking Hungarian-American investor and philanthropist George Soros as a supposed backer of anti-government campaigns.

The controversy first gained national attention after Vedant Srivastava, a Class 12 student from Delhi, alleged that the Physics answer sheet uploaded under his roll number during the re-evaluation process did not belong to him.

In a post on X, Vedant said he had sought photocopies of his answer scripts after receiving unexpectedly low marks in physics. Upon reviewing the document provided by CBSE, he claimed the handwriting and answers did not match his own.

The post quickly went viral, triggering widespread concern among students and parents about the transparency of CBSE’s digital evaluation system.

Following public outrage, CBSE acknowledged an error and later provided Vedant with what he described as his correct answer sheet. The board said corrective measures had been taken after reviewing the case.

What began as an individual grievance soon evolved into a broader debate over the credibility of the OSM system. Similar complaints emerged from other students who alleged mismatches in uploaded answer sheets, prompting questions about answer-script management, digital evaluation processes and post-result transparency.

The issue has since taken a political turn.

Over the past week, Gandhi has repeatedly targeted the Centre and CBSE over the OSM controversy, alleging irregularities in the award of the digital evaluation contract and demanding greater accountability.

He has questioned the selection of Coempt Edutech, claiming the company had links to past examination controversies, while calling for an independent investigation into the matter.

CBSE has rejected those allegations, describing them as “erroneous” and "misleading", and maintained that all procurement procedures were conducted in accordance with government financial rules.

The controversy has sparked a wider discussion about examination accountability, digital assessment systems and the pressure faced by students navigating high-stakes board examinations.