IIT panel gives nod to CBSE examiner portal, paves way for re-evaluation, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The CBSE's Class 12 re-evaluation portal received final security clearance after a review by an IIT-led cybersecurity team.
• This clearance, granted on Friday night, enables the reassessment of Class 12 answer scripts for students.
• The Coempt EduTeck platform, previously used for On-Screen Marking (OSM), was not utilized for the re-evaluation process.
• IIT teams are preparing recommendations for the Education Ministry and CBSE to ensure future examination software incorporates robust cybersecurity measures.

Detailed Insights:

• The launch of the Post-Result Activities (PRA) portal was initially delayed after IIT experts identified multiple high-severity vulnerabilities in the Board’s digital systems.
• Student and examination data were migrated to CBSE-controlled infrastructure, and the re-evaluation workflow was redesigned to run through the Board’s own systems.
• Recommendations will focus on integrating cybersecurity considerations from the earliest stages of software development for all future examination software.
• It is also expected that developed software will undergo a thorough "red-teaming" exercise by an independent group before deployment.
• The audit employed a "red team-blue team" method, with IIT Kanpur experts acting as the red team and IIT Madras, Digital India Corporation (DIC), and CBSE developers forming the blue team.
• Examiners will digitally access scanned answer scripts and will only be shown specific questions flagged by students for re-evaluation.
• The marks awarded by the original evaluator will not be visible to the re-evaluating examiner to ensure an independent assessment and reduce potential bias.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Cybersecurity: Measures taken to protect computer systems and networks from digital attacks, damage, or unauthorized access.
• Red Team-Blue Team: A cybersecurity exercise where a "red team" simulates attacks to find vulnerabilities, and a "blue team" defends against them.
• Vulnerabilities: Weaknesses or flaws in a computer system or network that can be exploited by attackers to compromise its security.
• On-Screen Marking (OSM): A digital method for evaluating examination answer scripts using computer screens, often involving specialized software.