The Central Information Commission (CIC) has recommended that the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduce a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to set clear timelines for providing marks or answer sheets when students request them.The recommendation came while deciding an appeal filed by a Class 12 student who sought her assessment records used to prepare the 2021 board examination results after the exams were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The student alleged that mistakes in the assessment process caused her “mental agony and depression”, for which she had to undergo therapy.Information Commissioner Sudha Rani Relangi said, “It is the dire need of today’s scenario that CBSE should introduce a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) governing the timelines for submission/providing the marks or answer sheet on the request of students.”The CIC added, “This will be an effective step to avoid any unwarranted situations of this nature of hardship as faced by the Appellant in this matter, is likely to affect the young minds.”The commission has “strongly recommends” under Section 25(5) of the RTI Act that CBSE prepare the SOP and ensure that “such policy related information be disclosed on their official website”.A copy of the 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.On the student’s complaint, the commission said, “the denial of Appellant’s own assessment marks in whatever format it may be by the CPIO (Central Public Information Officer) goes against the spirit of the RTI Act, 2005.”The CIC noted that although the student’s challenge to her assessment is pending before the high court, the CPIO “ought to have addressed the concern of the Appellant” by providing information related to her own assessment after removing details of other candidates that are exempt from disclosure under the RTI Act.The commission directed CBSE’s CPIO to provide the student, free of cost, a revised reply along with the permissible information, including her assessment marks in the tabular format requested in her RTI application.The student had sought the tabulation sheet for five subjects under CBSE’s special assessment policy introduced after the cancellation of the 2021 Class 12 board examinations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the hearing, she argued that she had the right to know how her assessment was prepared and that the RTI Act did not prevent the disclosure of her own records.
