CBSE board exams: CIC directs board on answer sheets, RTI fees and revaluation rights

 

Students seeking transparency in CBSE board exam evaluation have received an important clarification after the Central Information Commission (CIC) directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to follow the Right to Information (RTI) Rules, 2012, while providing copies of answer scripts.

The CIC has said that CBSE must charge only the prescribed fees when students seek photocopies of their answer sheets under the RTI Act. It has also recommended changes to a CBSE circular that restricts students from seeking verification or revaluation after obtaining their answer books through RTI.

The matter came before the commission after a Class 10 student sought copies of answer sheets, citing the high cost of CBSE's regular re-evaluation process. The student had also raised concerns about the difficulty of the Class 10 Mathematics Standard Set 3 paper, moderation and deductions in marks.

According to the application, obtaining photocopies of answer sheets for five subjects through the regular CBSE process cost Rs 2,500. Verification required another Rs 2,500, while further review could cost Rs 100 per question. The total expense, the student pointed out, could reach around Rs 10,000.

The student therefore approached CBSE under the RTI Act, 2005, seeking copies of the answer sheets at the applicable RTI fee. The board's Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) later informed the student that the answer books had been sent by email after the required fee was paid.

However, the matter did not end there. The student subsequently raised questions about blank pages in the answer books, the mathematics moderation policy and the evaluation of the paper.

During the CIC proceedings, CBSE referred to its May 19, 2025 circular, which allows students to obtain answer-book copies under RTI but states that verification or revaluation cannot be sought through the RTI route.

The CIC objected to this restriction. It observed that obtaining an answer sheet through RTI should not, by itself, prevent a candidate from using CBSE's separate process for verification or revaluation.

The commission also referred to Section 22 of the RTI Act, which gives the transparency law overriding effect over provisions that are inconsistent with it. It cited a 2019 Supreme Court judgment in ICSI vs Paras Jain, which held that remedies under institutional rules and those available under the RTI framework can operate independently.

The CIC has therefore directed CBSE to provide answer scripts requested under RTI while charging fees strictly in accordance with the RTI Rules, 2012. It has also recommended that CBSE review and amend its May 19 circular to ensure that its provisions remain consistent with the RTI Act.

For students and parents, the order could be significant. It reinforces the principle that access to an evaluated answer sheet and the right to pursue available examination remedies should not automatically become mutually exclusive.