Who Are Vedant Shrivastava, Nisarga Adhikary and Sarthak Sidhant? The 3 Gen-Z Students Who Put CBSE's OSM System Under Scrutiny
A Class 12 student who received someone else's answer sheet, a young cybersecurity researcher who exposed vulnerabilities in the CBSE's digital evaluation platform, and a teenager who investigated the board's tender process have emerged as the faces of the controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
New Delhi, May 31: A Class 12 student who received someone else's answer sheet, a young cybersecurity researcher who exposed vulnerabilities in the CBSE's digital evaluation platform, and a teenager who investigated the board's tender process have emerged as the faces of the controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education's (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
As concerns over answer sheet mismatches, alleged security flaws and questions about the OSM contract gained traction online, three young students, Vedant Shrivastava, Nisarga Adhikary and Sarthak Sidhant, found themselves at the centre of a nationwide debate.
Vedant Shrivastava: The Student Who Received the Wrong Answer Sheet
Delhi-based student Vedant Shrivastava became the first major face of the controversy after applying for the CBSE re-evaluation process following unexpectedly low marks in Physics.
CBSE OSM Row: Vedant Shrivastava Shares His Story
The Physics answer sheet sent by CBSE does is not my answer sheet at all.
I KNOW this is not my handwriting and it did not have the questions i attempted.
Not just me — my family, teachers, and everyone who knows my writing immediately noticed the difference.
— VEDANT (@VEDANTSHRIV17) May 23, 2026
Computer Science Answer Sheet pic.twitter.com/axDsZrK8aD
— VEDANT (@VEDANTSHRIV17) May 23, 2026
When CBSE shared a copy of his answer sheet, Vedant claimed it was not his and did not match his handwriting. He posted screenshots and details of the discrepancy on X, where the issue quickly went viral and attracted millions of views. CBSE Class 12 Evaluation Controversy: Missing Pages in Student’s Answer Sheet Raise Questions in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj.
The controversy intensified after he faced trolling on social media. However, CBSE later acknowledged the issue, sent him the correct answer sheet and said his result would be updated.
Nisarga Adhikary: The Teen Who Flagged Security Vulnerabilities
Nineteen-year-old Nisarga Adhikary, who describes himself as a cybersecurity enthusiast, alleged that he discovered vulnerabilities in the OSM evaluation portal. CBSE Responds to OnMark Security Flaws, Says Vulnerabilities Have Been Contained.
According to his claims, the platform contained weaknesses that could potentially allow unauthorised access. Nisarga said he had informed authorities about the issue months earlier. After posting his findings publicly, the matter gained widespread attention online.
Nisarga Adhikary's OSM Claims Put CBSE Under Scrutiny
I had hacked CBSE's OSM (On-Screen Marking Portal) in February and had reported the vulnerabilities to CERT-In, but they were unable to patch most of them.
I've written a detailed blog post about it here: https://t.co/qyT23GkTEJ
— nisarga (@ni5arga) May 22, 2026
CBSE initially rejected claims of a breach but later stated that identified vulnerabilities had been contained and that cybersecurity experts had been deployed to strengthen the system.
Sarthak Sidhant: The Blogger Who Examined the OSM Tender Process
Eighteen-year-old Sarthak Sidhant from Jharkhand investigated CBSE's OSM procurement process after becoming dissatisfied with his results.
Through a detailed blog and social media posts, Sarthak compared multiple tender documents and alleged that changes made across different bidding rounds may have helped certain firms qualify for the contract.
Sarthak Sidhant Flags Alleged Irregularities in CBSE OSM Tender
i will write more in the thread below.
— Sarthak Sidhant (@sidhant_sarthak) May 29, 2026
in August 2025, CBSE released the third tender.
which was won by Coempt Eduteck. pic.twitter.com/4EZp4HkEoc
— Sarthak Sidhant (@sidhant_sarthak) May 29, 2026
Guess Who Uses AWS and Azure?
that's right, Coempt Eduteck!
There were other Infrastructure changes, which removed any incentives of owning DC and DR. pic.twitter.com/GLMNNesYly
— Sarthak Sidhant (@sidhant_sarthak) May 29, 2026
His analysis sparked intense discussion online and drew the attention of political leaders and education observers. CBSE and the vendor involved denied any wrongdoing and maintained that all procurement procedures were followed according to established rules.
Sarthak Sidhant Backs Nisarga, Says CBSE Wrong on OSM Hack Claim
Watch: When asked the NTA/CBSE has denied their OSM system was hacked. What is your understanding as you happen to know the hacker Nisarga, CBSE class 12 student Sarthak Sidhant says, "I know Nisarga from a long time, Nisarg is my long time friend and Nisarga is not lying about… pic.twitter.com/CfbA1txH0q
— IANS (@ians_india) May 30, 2026
How 3 Teenagers Sparked a National Debate
The CBSE OSM controversy has become one of the most talked-about education issues of 2026, driven largely by students using social media, blogs and independent research to raise questions about the examination system.
While CBSE continues to defend the overall integrity of the OSM process, it has acknowledged certain technical issues and promised corrective measures. The debate has also triggered wider discussions about transparency, digital evaluation systems and accountability in India's education sector.
For many observers, Vedant Shrivastava, Nisarga Adhikary and Sarthak Sidhant have become symbols of a new generation willing to question institutions and demand answers through data, technology and public scrutiny.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 31, 2026 05:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
