CBSE must frame SOP on marks, answer sheets: Central Information Commission
The Central Information Commission has asked CBSE to frame a standard operating procedure for sharing marks, answer sheets and assessment records on time. The order stresses transparency in academic evaluations and seeks to reduce uncertainty for students.
In a significant push for greater transparency in the education system, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that clearly defines the timelines for providing students with their marks, assessment records, or answer sheets upon request.
The recommendation comes amid concerns that delays and a lack of clarity in sharing assessment records can cause unnecessary hardship, particularly for students seeking transparency about their academic evaluations.
The direction came while the CIC was deciding an appeal filed by a Class 12 student who had sought access to the assessment records used to prepare the 2021 board examination results. The board exams were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, following which CBSE adopted a special assessment policy to evaluate and award students' scores.
Information Commissioner Sudha Rani Relangi observed that introducing an SOP governing the timelines for providing marks or answer sheets is "the dire need of today's scenario." The Commission said such a mechanism would help prevent situations that adversely affect students and reduce unnecessary uncertainty surrounding access to assessment records.
Invoking its powers under Section 25(5) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the CIC strongly recommended that CBSE formulate the SOP and publish the policy on its official website to ensure greater transparency, as reported by CBSE.
STUDENT ALLEGED ERRORS IN ASSESSMENT
The appellant claimed that mistakes in the assessment process had caused her severe mental distress and depression, for which she had to undergo therapy. She argued that she had the right to know how her final marks were calculated and maintained that no exemption under the RTI Act prevented disclosure of her own assessment records.
She had specifically sought the tabulation sheet for five subjects prepared under CBSE's special assessment policy introduced after the cancellation of the 2021 Class 12 board examinations.
CIC PULLS UP CBSE OVER DENIAL OF INFORMATION
The Commission observed that denying a student access to her own assessment marks went against the spirit of the RTI Act, 2005. While noting that the student's challenge to her assessment remains pending before the High Court, the CIC said the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) should have addressed her request by providing her assessment-related information after redacting details of other candidates protected under the RTI Act.
The CIC directed the CPIO to issue a revised reply free of cost and furnish the student's assessment marks in the prescribed tabular format requested in the RTI application.
COMPLIANCE DIRECTIONS
A copy of the Commission's order has been sent to the CBSE Secretary for necessary action. The First Appellate Authority has also been directed to submit a compliance report within four weeks.
The CIC's recommendation underscores the growing need for transparent and time-bound access to academic records. If implemented, a formal SOP could ensure that students receive their assessment information without unnecessary delays, strengthening accountability within the examination system while safeguarding students' right to information.
In a significant push for greater transparency in the education system, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that clearly defines the timelines for providing students with their marks, assessment records, or answer sheets upon request.
The recommendation comes amid concerns that delays and a lack of clarity in sharing assessment records can cause unnecessary hardship, particularly for students seeking transparency about their academic evaluations.
The direction came while the CIC was deciding an appeal filed by a Class 12 student who had sought access to the assessment records used to prepare the 2021 board examination results. The board exams were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, following which CBSE adopted a special assessment policy to evaluate and award students' scores.
Information Commissioner Sudha Rani Relangi observed that introducing an SOP governing the timelines for providing marks or answer sheets is "the dire need of today's scenario." The Commission said such a mechanism would help prevent situations that adversely affect students and reduce unnecessary uncertainty surrounding access to assessment records.
Invoking its powers under Section 25(5) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the CIC strongly recommended that CBSE formulate the SOP and publish the policy on its official website to ensure greater transparency, as reported by CBSE.
STUDENT ALLEGED ERRORS IN ASSESSMENT
The appellant claimed that mistakes in the assessment process had caused her severe mental distress and depression, for which she had to undergo therapy. She argued that she had the right to know how her final marks were calculated and maintained that no exemption under the RTI Act prevented disclosure of her own assessment records.
She had specifically sought the tabulation sheet for five subjects prepared under CBSE's special assessment policy introduced after the cancellation of the 2021 Class 12 board examinations.
CIC PULLS UP CBSE OVER DENIAL OF INFORMATION
The Commission observed that denying a student access to her own assessment marks went against the spirit of the RTI Act, 2005. While noting that the student's challenge to her assessment remains pending before the High Court, the CIC said the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) should have addressed her request by providing her assessment-related information after redacting details of other candidates protected under the RTI Act.
The CIC directed the CPIO to issue a revised reply free of cost and furnish the student's assessment marks in the prescribed tabular format requested in the RTI application.
COMPLIANCE DIRECTIONS
A copy of the Commission's order has been sent to the CBSE Secretary for necessary action. The First Appellate Authority has also been directed to submit a compliance report within four weeks.
The CIC's recommendation underscores the growing need for transparent and time-bound access to academic records. If implemented, a formal SOP could ensure that students receive their assessment information without unnecessary delays, strengthening accountability within the examination system while safeguarding students' right to information.
