CBSE Class 12 student Vedant Srivastava recently faced backlash from a section of the internet for flagging a mix-up with his Physics paper. The teenager was subjected to trolling on social media and was even labelled a ‘Pakistani’ for flagging discrepancies in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)’s new On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
Vedant was vindicated on Monday, when the board acknowledged that a technical issue had led to uploading an incorrect scanned copy against his roll number.
Now, the Delhi-based teenager and his brother Siddhant are celebrating CBSE’s admission with rajma chawal and a powerful statement.
“Rajma chawal after such a hectic day a big thanks to all who supported us from Vedant and Siddhant and we are not Pakistani,” Siddhant Srivastava wrote in a post shared on X this afternoon.
Further context on the CBSE row
{{/usCountry}}“Rajma chawal after such a hectic day a big thanks to all who supported us from Vedant and Siddhant and we are not Pakistani,” Siddhant Srivastava wrote in a post shared on X this afternoon.
Further context on the CBSE row
{{/usCountry}}When Vedant Shrivastava looked at his Class 12 board results, he was shocked by unexpected low marks in his Physics paper. He requested scanned copies of his answer sheets on May 19.
After receiving the scanned copies on May 23, he realised the Physics answer sheet linked to his roll number did not belong to him. He said the handwriting was completely different from his own.
Vedant flagged the issue in an X post which made him the target of backlash from some who claimed he was a ‘Pakistani’ out to discredit CBSE.
Several users accused him of trying to damage CBSE's image and questioned why his X profile location showed "South Asia". Some called him "anti-national", while others labelled him "Pakistani".
Among those who initially called the student a "Pakistani" was Doordarshan News journalist Ashok Shrivastav. He later apologised, but his remarks sparked massive backlash online.
(Also read: From being called 'Pakistani' to CBSE's apology: Vedant Shrivastava case amid OSM row)
CBSE admits error
After the matter blew up on social media, CBSE joint secretary (coordination) acknowledged the mismatch and informed him that his marks would be corrected soon. HT reviewed the communication sent to the student.
A senior CBSE official also confirmed the mistake but did not explain the reason behind it.
"We communicated to Vedant Shrivastava today and have sent the correct answer copy to him by email. His marks will be updated accordingly," the official said on condition of anonymity.
(Also read: From being called 'Pakistani' to CBSE's apology: Vedant Shrivastava case amid OSM row)