Coempt denies software lapses in CBSE digital marking controversy

Coempt Edu Teck denied software and security failures in CBSE's digital evaluation system, attributing reported answer-sheet discrepancies to scanning errors

Coempt Edu Teck, the technology vendor at the centre of the controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education’s (CBSE’s) on-screen marking (OSM) system, has denied allegations that software failures or security lapses were behind reported answer-sheet discrepancies. The Hyderabad-based company credited at least some of the issues to manual errors during the scanning process but denied allegations that tender conditions had been altered to accommodate substandard hardware.

 

In a statement shared with Business Standard, the company said a widely reported case in which a student allegedly received another candidate’s answer sheet was traced to the physical scanning process rather than a technological flaw. “We have identified the location and the individual who conducted the scanning. We have verified 100 per cent that, technologically, there is no error in this case,” the company said, adding that preliminary findings pointed to human oversight rather than a failure of the software platform.

 

The statement marks Coempt’s most detailed response since complaints over answer-sheet access, image quality, evaluation discrepancies, technical difficulties, and delays in services such as re-evaluation and post-result processes triggered questions about the functioning of CBSE’s digital evaluation system.

 

In an internal communication sent by Coempt to clients and reviewed by Business Standard, the company sought to reassure institutions that recent allegations did not reflect its operational capabilities or compliance standards. The company described itself as an examination-solutions provider serving more than 35 universities and institutions across India and said it continued to meet regulatory and statutory requirements, according to the communication dated June 12.

 

The internal note said that recent criticism was based on “inaccurate and incomplete information” and that the company was addressing the matter through appropriate channels.

 

Addressing allegations of a security breach, Coempt said the system accessed by a 19-year-old ethical hacker was “a server used for testing, which is never used for any client.”

 

“It’s used for internal purposes, with dummy tests, and has public access. No student data or technical infrastructure was compromised, and operational systems remain entirely secure,” Coempt said.

 

On allegations that tender conditions had been altered to accommodate substandard hardware, the company refuted them, adding that the scanners used for digitisation were standard industry-grade equipment with hardware upgraded periodically. Coempt won CBSE’s digital evaluation contract, surpassing Tata Consultancy Services.

 

The company said answer sheets had already been provided to nearly 95 per cent of students who sought access to them and that remaining complaints were being reviewed in coordination with the relevant authorities.

 

In the internal communication, Coempt also addressed renewed attention on the 2019 Telangana Intermediate examination controversy, stating that courts had examined the matter and cleared the company of wrongdoing. The company further asserted that it had never been blacklisted by any board, university or government authority.

 

“We will address the 2019 matter plainly, since it has resurfaced in some remarks based on inaccurate and incomplete information. The courts examined it in full, and the outcome was unambiguous: the company was cleared of any wrongdoing, a finding upheld right up to the Supreme Court. Let us be equally clear on the question of blacklisting: the company, whether under its current name or any prior name, has never been blacklisted by any board, university or government authority. These are not assertions; they are matters of public record, and we invite you to examine the relevant court orders and official documents for yourself,” the letter to clients said.

 

The response comes as questions continue to be raised about accountability, vendor oversight, and cybersecurity safeguards in digital examination systems.

 

According to the CBSE, 56,000 applications for re-evaluation and verification were received on CBSE’s portal as of 9.30 PM on June 3. The portal remained open until June 7. 

 

Inside Coempt’s corporate maze

 

Coempt Edu Teck Private was incorporated on April 11, 2000, nearly 26 years ago. The company, led by its Director and Chief Executive Officer V S N Raju, was formerly known as Globarena Web Technologies until October 2019.

 

At present, Coempt Edu Teck’s registered office is in Madhura Nagar, Yousufguda, Hyderabad, according to filings made by the company on the Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ portal. It is listed as a subsidiary of Charys Investments, which was incorporated in 1988.

 

The present board of Coempt Edu Teck consists of Radhakrishnan Jayaraman, Sowmyanarayanan Sadagopan, Suryanarayana Vuyyuri Raju, Anantha Chary, and Venkatanarayana Aleti, while Tripti Mandhyani is the registered company secretary, according to the company’s filings with the Registrar of Companies.

 

The company has seen a rise and fall in the number of employees between 2016 and now, with its count falling to 35 as of February 2022 before rising to 107 employees as of April 2026. 

A few other companies, such as Elbit Medical Diagnostics, Magene Research Foundation, Concept Industries, Magene Life Sciences, Chary Lifesciences, Millisoft, Charys Investments, Charys Finance & Securities, and Concen Tek, list M Anantha Chary either as a director on their boards or as managing director in some cases.

 

As of March 31, 2025, Coempt Edu Teck’s total revenue was ₹68 crore, while its net profit stood at ₹3.7 crore. The company also spent nearly ₹3.4 crore on legal expenses during the last financial year, while it wrote off assets worth nearly ₹8 crore. This included bad debts worth ₹5.2 crore and miscellaneous expenditure worth ₹5.8 crore that were written off.

 

AASHISH ARYAN