CBSE Re-Evaluation Deadline Ends Amid Portal Failures and Login Issues

Thousands of students attempting to apply for scanned copies of CBSE answer sheets continued to face difficulties on Saturday as the Board’s portal remained largely inaccessible on the final day of the application process. The Central Board of Secondary Education had earlier extended the deadline from May 23 to May 24 after repeated complaints of server crashes and failed payments.

By late evening, many users were still seeing the message “Site Under Maintenance” while trying to access the portal. Students across different states reported that pages failed to load properly even after multiple refresh attempts.

Applications Surge Rapidly

According to Board officials, the response this year has been unusually high. More than 1.26 lakh applications were reportedly submitted within the first three hours after the process opened on May 19.

This is being seen as one of the highest-ever participation rates in the CBSE re-evaluation and scanned answer sheet process. Sources familiar with the matter said over 7% of candidates appearing in the examination sought either re-evaluation or photocopies of answer sheets, significantly higher than the usual 2–3% seen in previous years.

Around 17.68 lakh students appeared for the CBSE examinations this year.

Website Remains Unstable

Students and parents continued to complain about severe technical issues throughout the week. Several users said the website either crashed midway or showed “service unavailable” errors repeatedly.

According to students who spoke on social media platforms, even when the portal opened briefly, every step required repeated refreshing. Some users claimed the system became functional only during early morning hours.

Many applicants also said they completed payments days ago but had still not received scanned copies or confirmation messages from CBSE.

Payment Errors Trigger Confusion

One of the biggest concerns involved payment-related glitches. While the official fee for obtaining a photocopy of one subject answer sheet is ₹100, several students reported abnormal fee displays ranging from thousands to lakhs of rupees.

Screenshots shared online showed unexpected payment amounts appearing during checkout. In other cases, students claimed that smaller amounts were processed while standard payments repeatedly failed.

Some applicants also received conflicting notifications. According to reports, students who were informed around midday that their applications had been submitted successfully later received refund messages stating the applications had not gone through.

Minister Seeks Report

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has reportedly sought a detailed explanation regarding the technical breakdowns affecting the CBSE portal.

Officials said the issues under review include server downtime, payment failures, registration errors and complaints regarding blurred or incomplete scanned answer sheets. CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh also indicated that there had been attempts to interfere with the website without authorisation.

The Board has not yet announced whether another extension will be granted.

Login And Registration Problems

Apart from payment issues, students faced repeated login and registration failures. Many reported receiving “invalid ID” messages despite completing registration successfully.

In several cases, users attempting fresh registrations were informed that their accounts already existed in the system. Students also claimed the portal functioned intermittently on mobile devices but often failed entirely on desktop browsers.

Meanwhile, CBSE helpline numbers reportedly remained difficult to access, with many callers receiving no response.

Fake Circular Sparks Panic

Amid the confusion, a fake circular claiming cancellation of the 2026 re-evaluation process circulated widely on social media platforms.

The viral document falsely stated that CBSE had cancelled the process due to technical difficulties and would refund fees within 15 working days while treating existing marks as final.

CBSE later clarified online that the circular was fake and urged students not to rely on unofficial information.

Errors In Uploaded Answer Sheets

Students have also flagged discrepancies in scanned answer sheets already released by the Board. In one reported case from Madhya Pradesh, pages from a Business Studies answer booklet were allegedly missing, while some pages appeared duplicated in the uploaded PDF.

According to initial reports, marks for certain answers were not awarded because the relevant pages were absent from the scanned copy. Such complaints have added to concerns among students awaiting re-evaluation before further admission processes begin.

With the CBSE re-evaluation deadline closing amid continuing technical problems, many students are now waiting for clarification on whether the Board will reopen the portal or provide additional relief measures.

Lift Malfunction Traps 10 Passengers for 3 Hours at Rewa Station

Passengers, including woman doctor and toddler, stuck between floors due to technical glitch; no warning signs at platform

Ten passengers arriving on the Itwari train found themselves trapped inside a lift on platform number 2 at Rewa railway station for nearly three hours on Wednesday, triggering panic and anger among family members waiting outside.

The group, which included a woman doctor, a three-year-old girl, and several elderly passengers, entered the lift around 8:30 am unaware that maintenance work was underway. Within seconds of the doors closing, the lift came to a grinding halt between floors.

No Warning Signs

According to officials, the lift had been scheduled for routine maintenance. However, no information board or cautionary signage was placed at the entrance. Passengers and relatives said there was no indication that the lift was non-operational.

“We just walked in like any other day. Nobody told us not to use it,” said a relative of one trapped passenger who declined to be named.

Rescue Effort Takes Hours

Station officials received the first alert around 9 am. A team of railway technicians arrived shortly after, but the absence of a backup power mechanism complicated the rescue.

For nearly three hours, stranded passengers remained inside the confined space with limited ventilation. Railway staff managed to create a small gap in the lift door to pass juice packets and water bottles to keep the group hydrated and calm.

Local authorities confirmed that the woman doctor inside assisted fellow passengers, particularly the toddler and elderly members, helping manage anxiety during the wait.

Officials Arrive at Scene

Sanjeev Shukla, representative of the local MP, reached the site along with senior railway officers as news of the incident spread across the station. By late morning, a medical team dispatched by the Chief Medical Health Officer had also arrived.

Technical repairs were completed around 11:30 am, after which all 10 passengers were safely evacuated. No injuries were reported.

Health Check-Up Conducted

The medical team examined each passenger on the platform. Officials confirmed that all were stable, though some showed signs of mild distress and fatigue.

“We have conducted preliminary checks. Everyone is safe. Those requiring follow-up have been advised accordingly,” a CMHO representative said.

 Questions Over Passenger Safety

The incident has raised concerns about basic passenger amenities and safety protocols at Rewa station, which sees regular footfall from long-distance trains like the Itwari Express. Local residents and passenger groups have questioned why a lift undergoing maintenance was left accessible without barricades or warning boards.

Railway officials have assured that an internal inquiry will examine the sequence of events and why standard safety measures were not followed.

“Responsible staff will be identified. We will ensure such lapses do not recur,” a senior railway officer told reporters at the station.