'A Denial Is Not An Answer': Rahul Gandhi Escalates Attack On CBSE Over Coempt Edutech Contract

Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday, intensified his attack on the Central Board of Secondary Education over the award of a contract for the digital evaluation of answer sheets, accusing the board of failing to answer key questions regarding the selection of private firm Coempt Edutech.

Responding to CBSE's clarification on social media, Gandhi said, "A denial is not an answer. Why are the Education Minister and CBSE unable to answer the four simple questions I have asked? The future of 18.5 lakh students have been put in jeopardy. They deserve the truth."

The remarks came after CBSE rejected allegations made by the Congress leader regarding the awarding of a contract to Coempt Edutech for the digital evaluation of answer books for the 2026 board examinations.

In a post on X, CBSE termed the allegations "erroneous, misleading and not based on facts." The board asserted that it had strictly followed the prescribed procedures while awarding the contract.

"CBSE has followed the General Financial Rules protocols scrupulously in the awarding of the contract to the agency. CBSE floated the Request for Proposal (RFP) for Digital Evaluation of Answer Books for Board Exams 2026 on the Central Public Procurement Portal on August 28, 2025, and awarded the contract to the qualified bidder," the board stated.

The controversy began after Gandhi said that there had been "massive tampering" in CBSE examination results, saying that millions of students and parents had been left shocked by the outcome. He accused the Narendra Modi-led government of avoiding accountability and raised concerns about the selection of Coempt Edutech for the evaluation process.

The Congress MP alleged that the company had previously operated under the name Globarena and had been involved in controversies in Telangana in 2019. According to Gandhi, despite the firm's alleged history, it was entrusted with a responsibility affecting nearly 18.5 lakh students.

Calling the issue a "deliberate conspiracy" rather than an administrative error, he sought answers to four questions:

1. Why was the CBSE contract given to COEMPT, and on whose orders?

2. Which rules and procedures were bypassed to award this contract to the company?

3. COEMPT had already been embroiled in controversies under the name Globarena. Why didn't CBSE know about it? Why weren't background checks done?

4. What exactly is the connection between COEMPT's management and the Modi government?

He also demanded an independent judicial inquiry and the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter and identify those responsible.

While CBSE has categorically denied the allegations and maintained that all procurement norms were followed, Gandhi has insisted that the board's response does not address the specific concerns he raised, setting the stage for a continued political confrontation over the issue.