CBSE revaluation portal hacked, 50 students exploit glitch

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has revealed that its revaluation portal's payment system was targeted by a malicious cyberattack, allowing around 50 students to gain unauthorised access and manipulate fee-related information.

The breach led to abnormal fee displays on the portal, with payable amounts fluctuating dramatically from as low as ₹1 to nearly ₹67,000-68,000 in some cases. The issue surfaced shortly after the portal became operational, disrupting the post-result application process for students seeking verification and re-evaluation of their Class 12 answer sheets.

According to sources, the manipulation appeared to be either a prank or a deliberate attempt to interfere with the system. Around 50 student accounts were affected after fee amounts were altered through unauthorised access.

The glitch was traced to the HDFC payment gateway integrated with the portal. Following the incident, CBSE expanded its payment infrastructure by integrating four public sector banks — State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Indian Bank and Bank of Maharashtra — as additional payment gateways to strengthen system reliability.

Technical experts from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) and the Digital Infrastructure Corporation of India are currently examining the breach and working to enhance the portal's security and payment gateway integration.

Sources said the portal remained non-functional for a period as authorities investigated the issue and addressed vulnerabilities that allowed the manipulation of fee amounts.

The matter also reached the highest levels of the government. On May 24, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held discussions with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding the payment and technical difficulties faced by students during the CBSE post-result and revaluation process.

Following the meeting, it was decided that the four public sector banks would assist CBSE in strengthening its payment gateway infrastructure and integrating it more effectively with the board's post-examination portal, according to the Education Ministry.

Class 12 re-evaluation schedule revised

Amid the ongoing controversy, CBSE on May 29 announced a revised schedule for post-result activities for Class 12 students. The board said the portal for submitting applications for verification and re-evaluation will now become operational on June 1, 2026.

In a statement, CBSE said the decision was taken to ensure a transparent, secure and glitch-free process for students using the Post-Result Activities portal.

Once the portal reopens, students will be able to submit applications for verification and re-evaluation through the official platform.

The development comes against the backdrop of growing concerns raised by students and parents over the board's post-result processes. Complaints have ranged from blurred scanned copies of answer sheets and alleged unchecked answers to portal crashes, payment failures and confusion surrounding the re-evaluation procedure.

Addressing the controversy on May 28, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said he was taking responsibility for the situation and assured students and parents that strict action would be taken if any irregularities were detected.

"I take responsibility. It will be fixed, a solution will be found. We are all working on that task," the minister said, adding that no one would be spared if wrongdoing was established.