CBSE's Action: Controversial company dropped; Board to re-check answer sheets on its own servers..
CBSE Class 12 Re-evaluation Portal Security: There is significant and welcome news for CBSE Class 12 students. The CBSE re-evaluation portal, which had been stalled for the past few days due to technical and security concerns, has finally received final security clearance from the country's premier institution, IIT. IIT teams completed the final round of security testing and gave the portal the 'green signal,' clearing the way for the re-examination of students' answer sheets.
According to a report in the *Indian Express*, several security vulnerabilities were detected in the board's digital system, causing delays in launching the portal. Mindful of the risk of data leaks, CBSE took a major step by deciding against using the platform of 'Coempt Edutech,' a third-party company that had previously been mired in controversy. All student data has now been migrated directly to CBSE's own controlled infrastructure and servers to ensure that confidentiality remains uncompromised.
**'Red Team vs. Blue Team' Clash: How the Portal Secured Its Defense**
To ensure the portal's security, IIT employed a unique 'Red Team-Blue Team' strategy. The 'Blue Team'—comprising CBSE's original developers and experts from IIT Madras and the Digital India Corporation—was tasked with rectifying system vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, the 'Red Team'—experts from IIT Kanpur—attempted to breach the system and identify flaws. The portal was given the green light only after the Red Team failed to find any major defects during the final testing phase. However, IIT teams will remain on standby to address any potential issues that might arise during operations.
**The Country's Examination Software System Set for an Overhaul**
Following this cyber audit, IIT's expert teams are set to submit a detailed report with recommendations to the Ministry of Education and CBSE. The report will advocate for making it mandatory that any future software developed for the education department or examination processes incorporate robust cybersecurity measures right from the initial development stage. Additionally, before any software is released to the public or put into use, it must undergo hacking tests conducted by an independent and competent group.
How will examiners receive the answer sheets? Understanding the new rule
Despite the student portal opening on June 2, answer sheets could not be assigned to examiners for evaluation due to pending security clearance. CBSE is now informing examiners that they can access the system. Under the new rules, examiners will not be shown the students' entire answer sheets; instead, they will view—digitally scanned on a tablet—only the specific questions that the students have challenged.
Original marks to be masked to ensure impartial evaluation
Another significant change has been introduced to ensure the entire re-evaluation process is completely fair and unbiased. The new examiner evaluating the paper will not see the marks previously awarded to the student for that specific question by the initial evaluator. They will independently determine the marks based on CBSE's original marking scheme. Officials believe this will eliminate any possibility of bias and ensure students receive the marks they truly deserve.
Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from News18 Hindi. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.
