CBSE OSM Row Raises Concerns as Students Struggle to Meet 75% Criteria for IIT, NIT, BITS Admissions

The ongoing controversy surrounding CBSE’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system has moved from a result-related issue to an engineering admission issue as JoSAA counselling registration starts today and counselling for other institutes is ongoing.

CBSE OSM Row: Students Struggle to Meet 75% Eligibility Requirement for Engineering Admissions

With thousands of students depending on their class 12 marks to secure admission to premier engineering institutes such as IITs, NITs, IIITs and GFTIs along with top private institutes like BITS, delays and disputes in the post-result process have created uncertainty at this critical time. Many students have reported problems such as answer-sheet mismatches, missing pages in scanned copies, difficulties accessing answer books, and delays in the re-evaluation process. Several students also wonder when the re-evaluation portal did not become operational as scheduled.

Why this Matters for Engineering Aspirants?

Admission to institutions such as Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Information Technology, and other government-funded engineering institutes requires candidates to meet specific class 12 eligibility conditions in addition to entrance examination performance. For students seeking admission to top engineering colleges, every mark becomes crucial with the 75% criteria.

Check: JoSAA 2026 Counselling Registration LIVE

What is 75% Criteria?

The 75% criteria refers to the minimum academic requirement for engineering admission in IITs, NITs, IIITs and other GFTIs participating through JoSAA/CSAB. Candidates must have passed 5 subjects and scored at least 75% aggregate marks (65% for SC, ST and PwD candidates) or be among the top 20 percentile of candidates in their respective boards. Even for admission to BITS, students require a minimum of 75% aggregate in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM), plus at least 60% in each individual PCM subject.

CBSE is one of India’s largest school education boards, with lakhs of students appearing for class 12 examinations every year. Even if only a small percentage of students seek verification or re-evaluation, the number of affected candidates is still substantial.

What May Help Affected Students?

The authorities can help the students by considering the following suggestions:

• Faster resolution of verification and re-evaluation requests.
• Transparent communication regarding grievance timelines.
• Considering of admission timelines while processing pending requests.
• Offer some flexibility if a student’s marks change after re-evaluation.

CBSE has opened and updated its verification and re-evaluation framework under the OSM system and has stated that students can use official channels to raise concerns regarding their results. However, engineering aspirants still face uncertainity because of the grievances and its implecations on meeting the eligibility requirements for admissions to India’s most sought-after engineering institutions.

Also read: BITSAT 2026 Preference Form Last Date Extended; Complete Choice Filling by June 3