Liver doctor's advice to 'send students abroad' amid CBSE OSM spark: "What about middle class?" debate

Hepatologist Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as The Liver Doc, has slammed India’s education system, calling it “pseudoscience” amid the ongoing controversy surrounding CBSE’s On Screen Marking (OSM) system. The doctor said he had completely lost faith in the country’s education system and stressed the need for aspiring medical students to consider studying abroad.

In a detailed post on X, The Liver Doc wrote: “Thinking too. Stop sending kids to CBSE. Start looking at IB/Cambridge syllabuses in Indian schools.”

He further suggested that students interested in medicine consider exams such as the UCAT and BMAT, which are the entrance tests used by medical and dental schools in the UK.

Read also | Will CBSE Class 12 OSM Controversy Affect IIT Eligibility Despite JEE Clearing?

“If kids want to pursue a medical career, then UCAT/BMAT exams can help them get into good foreign universities. If anyone has experience of this transition, please discuss it here. I have lost all faith in this country and its education system infiltrated with pseudoscience.”

Liver Doc’s remarks came after CBSE’s Class 12 assessment process moved to the all-digital OSM system, sparking a row after students reported blurry scans of answer books, missing pages and in some cases, mismatched answer scripts.

What is OSM?

On-Screen Marking (OSM) is a digital marking system that allows examiners to mark scanned answer scripts on a computer rather than marking physical answer booklets.

Students continue to write their exams in traditional answer sheets. After the exams are completed, the answer scripts are scanned, uploaded to a secure digital platform, anonymized and then electronically assigned to the assessors for assessment.

CBSE said the OSM system increases transparency and helps minimize overall errors during the evaluation process. Responding to the concerns raised by the students, the board has extended the deadline for applications for scanned copies of answer sheets and has urged candidates not to worry, assuring them that all genuine complaints will be scrutinized by subject experts.

Read also | ‘Handwriting discrepancy in answer copy’: Class 12 students, CBSE admits mistake

The board also defended OSM’s process, calling it “fair, transparent and equitable”. According to CBSE, the identified vulnerabilities in the system have already been fixed while efforts are underway to review and fix other flaws.

How social media users reacted:

The Liver Doc’s post attracted considerable attention on social media, with several users sharing their views in the comments section.

One user wrote: “The reality is that 99.8% of the population cannot afford the IB/Cambridge curriculum.”

Another commented: “Would like more information on this. I’m quite happy to explore these options but I’m hesitant simply because both my partner and I grew up in the CBSE system. We just want a better future for our children, not this horror show.”

Read also | CBSE student faces trolling after alleged mix-up of answer sheet

A third user said, “My child studied in Canada where she enjoyed her studies and loved her teachers. After she came back she joined CBSE and struggled because of the three language policy. I shifted her to ICSE after two years because I couldn’t afford IGCSE or IB. This helped her regain her confidence.”

A fourth user wrote, “Why not ICSE? I can honestly say that the syllabus and teaching methodology is far ahead of CBSE. Even some state boards are much better.”

“Perfectly reasonable suggestion. Unfortunately they are all just too expensive for most people,” commented another user.

Another added: “Can the lower middle class and middle class afford IB schools?”