CBSE OSM Security Flaws Exposed: Who Are Vedant Srivastava, Nisarga Adhikary and Sarthak Sidhant?

THE CBSE OSM CONTROVERSY, which first came into the spotlight in May 2026 after an alleged answer sheet exchange. A class 12th student Vedant, who became the face of concerns over CBSE's new On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, had claimed  that his re-evaluation resulted in only a two-mark increase—one each in Mathematics and Computer Science. He further said that not even a single mark increased in his Physics answer sheet for which he applied for re-evaluation. 

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has released the re-evaluation results for class 12th board exam on their official portal on June 21, 2026. Vedant said that despite applying for a review of several answers, his Physics marks have not increased in the re-evaluation procedure. He said that ‘Not even a single mark  increased.’ Let’s meet these brilliant minds who exposed CBSE OSM security flaws.

Nisarga Adhikary

Nisarga Adhikary had flagged vulnerabilities in the newly introduced On-Screen Marking System (OSM) of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). In a blog post shared by Adhikary on May 22, 2026, he flagged that the online grading portal launched by the CBSE to evaluate Class 12th students board exam performances, could have permitted a takeover of an examiner’s account, and allowed tampering with marks or grading process. 

The 19-year-old Gen Z has been hired by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. He landed a job as an OSINT and Threat Intelligence Engineer at C3iHub, the cybersecurity and cyber defence research center at IIT Kanpur. The institute has appointed him on a contractual basis.

See also: CBSE Class 10th Second Board Result 2026 To Be OUT Soon: Here’s How To Check Marksheet Via Digilocker, Expected Release Date

Adhikary’s blog on CBSE’s OSM drew attention from Manindra Agarwal, serving as the Director of IIT Kanpur. Nisarga’s skills and ethical approach impressed him, and he was invited to join C3iHub as an OSINT and threat intelligence engineer at the institute. At IIT Kanpur, Adhikary will analyze actionable information from various available sources and identify vulnerabilities in websites as well as applications. He will help the organizations in addressing potential security flaws. 

Sarthak Sidhant

Sarthak Sidhant is a 17-year-old CBSE student, who pointed out discrepancies  in the CBSE’s online marking system. He has appeared for the class 12th board examination this year. He first came into the spotlight when he questioned CBSE regarding the discrepancies between physical and digital versions of answer sheets of the students, which were evaluated under the newly involved OSM system. 

Sarthak even presented a 7-page copy of his findings before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports on June 2, 2026. He felt there were at least 15 discrepancies in the whole process. 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met Sarthak Sidhant. Rahul Gandhi posted his picture with the student on his X handle and said ‘Sarthak Apne Sidhanto Pe Adig Raho’ means (Sarthak, remain steadfast in your principles).

See also: Called ‘Pakistani’ for Questioning CBSE”: Class 12th Vedant Finally Gets Correct Physics Answer Sheet

Vedant Srivastava

Vedant Srivastava is a class 12th student, who has raised serious concerns regarding the newly introduced CBSE’s OSM system. He shared on his X account that he had earlier provided another student’s answer copy which was uploaded under his roll number. 

The controversy took place when the class 12th student posted on his X handle that a wrong answer sheet of Physics exam had been uploaded under his roll number, leading to wrong results. After evaluating the handwriting, he asked for the correct answer sheet, which was provided by CBSE. 

Vedant’s post caught attention and garnered 3.2 million views in a few days. Several users on X handle accused him for degrading the reputation of CBSE and also asked him why his X handle location showed “South Asia.” Some gave him tags like “anti-national” and called him “Pakistani.”

(Edited by Khushboo Singh)

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