RTI for RBSE — Class 10 and Class 12 Results, Marks and Answer Script in Rajasthan

The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) — also widely known as the Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan (BSER) — conducts the Class 10 (Secondary) and Class 12 (Senior Secondary) board examinations for hundreds of thousands of students across Rajasthan every year. These results determine college admissions, scholarship eligibility, government job applications, and career opportunities. Yet like most examination boards, RBSE does not routinely share evaluated answer scripts, question-wise marks breakdowns, or the details of its re-evaluation process with students after results are declared.

For Rajasthan students who suspect evaluation errors, want to understand why their marks fell short, or need to verify whether the Board's internal scrutiny was conducted correctly, the Right to Information Act, 2005 provides a legally enforceable statutory route that operates entirely independently of RBSE's internal schemes. RBSE is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act — it is obligated to respond to valid RTI applications within 30 days, provide documents it holds, and explain decisions it has made.

RBSE and BSER — The Same Body

Students and parents sometimes encounter both abbreviations — RBSE and BSER — and wonder whether they refer to different organisations. They do not. RBSE (Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education) and BSER (Board of Secondary Education, Rajasthan) are two names for the same statutory body, headquartered at Mains Road, Ajmer – 305 001. The Board was constituted under the Rajasthan Secondary Education Act, 1957 and is the sole authority that conducts board examinations for students affiliated to government and recognised private schools across the state.

Official communications, admit cards, mark sheets, and result portals may use either name interchangeably. For RTI purposes, both names identify the same public authority, and you should address your application to the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) at RBSE's headquarters in Ajmer.

RBSE conducts two major annual examinations:

• Secondary Examination (Class 10) — known locally as the "Madhyamik Pariksha"
• Senior Secondary Examination (Class 12) — known as the "Ucch Madhyamik Pariksha"

Both examinations are covered by the RTI guide below.

The Legal Basis: Why Answer Scripts Are RTI-Accessible

The Supreme Court of India's landmark decision in CBSE & Anr. v. Aditya Bandopadhyay & Ors. (2011) — confirmed in a Constitution Bench judgment — settled that evaluated answer sheets are "information" within the meaning of the Right to Information Act, 2005. The Court held that examinees have a right to access their evaluated answer sheets through an RTI application. While the case directly concerned CBSE, the legal principle applies with equal force to RBSE as a state examination board.

RBSE cannot refuse to provide your evaluated answer script on the ground that it is an internal document, that it belongs to the Board, or that the internal re-evaluation window has closed. Once a valid RTI application is filed with the required fee, RBSE is legally obligated under Section 7(1) to respond within 30 days.

What RTI Can Get You from RBSE

Filing a well-drafted RTI application with RBSE can help you obtain:

• A certified copy of your evaluated answer script for any subject in the Class 10 or Class 12 examination, including all supplementary answer booklets that were attached to your main booklet
• The question-wise or section-wise marks breakdown as recorded by the examiner on your answer script — the most direct way to verify whether every question was evaluated and credited correctly
• The model answers (marking scheme / answer key) issued by RBSE to its examiners for your subject and examination year, including any instructions on partial credit or alternative acceptable answers
• The outcome of RBSE's internal scrutiny or re-evaluation (punar mulyankan) — the marks before and after, the date of completion, and the name of the officer who processed it
• Details of any moderation, grace marks, or statistical adjustment applied to marks in your subject for your examination year — the basis, the quantum, and the circular or policy under which it was applied
• Passing marks, maximum marks, and subject-wise mean (average) marks for your examination year, giving you comparative context to assess your result
• Administrative records about your answer script — the date it was received at the evaluation centre, the date it was returned after evaluation, and whether any discrepancy was noted between examiner marks and the Board's records

Where to File

RBSE is headquartered at Mains Road, Ajmer – 305 001, Rajasthan. All RTI applications are filed with the State Public Information Officer (SPIO) at this address. RBSE does not maintain decentralised RTI offices in each district — the central Ajmer office handles all RTI matters for both Class 10 and Class 12 examinations.

RBSE is a Rajasthan state public authority. This determines the appeal chain:

SPIO, RBSE, Ajmer (First response: 30 days)
        ↓ (if no response / unsatisfactory response)
First Appellate Authority (FAA), RBSE, Ajmer (Section 19(1))
        ↓ (if FAA response unsatisfactory)
Rajasthan State Information Commission (RSIC), Jaipur (Section 19(3))

Second appeals must go to the Rajasthan State Information Commission (RSIC) in Jaipur — not to the Central Information Commission (CIC) in New Delhi. The RSIC was established under Section 15 of the RTI Act, which requires every state government to constitute a State Information Commission. Filing a second appeal with the CIC would be in the wrong forum and would be dismissed.

The RSIC has the same powers as the CIC: it can direct disclosure, impose personal penalties on errant PIOs under Section 20 of the RTI Act (₹250 per day up to ₹25,000), and recommend disciplinary proceedings against defaulting officers.

How to File: Step by Step

Step 1 — Gather your examination details

Before drafting your application, collect the following from your RBSE admit card, mark sheet, and the Board's result portal:

• Your Roll Number as it appeared on the admit card
• The Class (X or XII) and year of examination
• The name of the subject(s) for which you are seeking the answer script or marks details
• Your examination centre name and code
• If you had applied for RBSE's internal scrutiny or re-evaluation: your application number and the date you applied

Step 2 — Draft specific, targeted questions

Vague RTI requests ("please give me all information about my result") invite incomplete or evasive responses. Ask for specific documents: certified copy of the evaluated answer script, question-wise marks breakdown, model answers, moderation details. Use the sample RTI draft in this guide as a starting point and adapt it to your specific subjects and examination year.

Note that only your own answer script and result records are accessible. Information about other students' answer sheets constitutes third-party personal information and is exempt under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act — restrict your request to your own records.

Step 3 — File online via the Rajasthan RTI portal

1. Visit rti.rajasthan.gov.in and register or log in with your details
2. Select the relevant public authority — navigate to School Education Department → Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE / BSER)
3. Type your application text in the provided field, or attach a typed application as a PDF if it is detailed
4. Pay the application fee online (₹10 for most applicants; BPL cardholders select the exemption and attach a self-attested copy of their BPL card)
5. Note your registration or acknowledgement number — you will need it to track the response and to cite in any subsequent appeal

Step 4 — Alternatively, file by post to Ajmer

If you prefer to file by physical post or cannot use the online portal:

Send your typed and signed RTI application by speed post or registered post to:

The State Public Information Officer (SPIO), Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE), Mains Road, Ajmer – 305 001, Rajasthan

Enclose an Indian Postal Order (IPO) of ₹10 drawn in favour of the Secretary, RBSE, payable at Ajmer. Keep your speed post receipt carefully — the 30-day response clock under Section 7(1) runs from the date RBSE receives your application, and your receipt establishes the date of dispatch.

Step 5 — Track and appeal if needed

RBSE must respond within 30 days of receipt under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act. If the response does not arrive, or is incomplete or incorrect:

• First Appeal (Section 19(1)): File with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at RBSE within 30 days of the date of the SPIO's decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. The FAA is a designated senior officer within RBSE. No fee is payable.
• Second Appeal (Section 19(3)): If the FAA's response is also unsatisfactory or absent, file with the Rajasthan State Information Commission (RSIC), Jaipur within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the date by which it should have been made. No fee is payable.

Detailed Information Requests

Your Evaluated Answer Script

The core document for any result-related RTI. When requesting your answer script, always specify:

1. A certified copy of your evaluated answer script, with your Roll Number, subject name, class, and examination year clearly stated
2. All supplementary answer booklets that were attached to the main booklet during evaluation
3. The question-wise or section-wise marks as written by the examiner on the script — not just the total, but the marks on each individual question

If RBSE provides only a photocopy without certification, you may ask in a follow-up or First Appeal for a certified copy that can be relied upon in formal proceedings.

Model Answers and Marking Scheme

One of the most underused RTI requests in the context of board exams is asking for the model answers or marking scheme issued by the Board to its examiners. This document shows exactly what the Board expected students to write for each question and how marks were to be allocated. Comparing your answer script against the model answers can reveal whether your answers were evaluated correctly against the official scheme. RBSE cannot claim this document is confidential — it is a Board-generated document that guides examination evaluation.

Re-evaluation and Scrutiny Records

If you had applied for RBSE's internal scrutiny or re-evaluation (punar mulyankan):

4. The marks originally awarded by the first examiner before scrutiny or re-evaluation
5. The marks after scrutiny or re-evaluation, with the date of completion
6. The name and designation of the officer who conducted or supervised the re-evaluation, and the basis for any revised marks (or confirmation that no change was made)

If you did not use RBSE's internal scheme — or if the window has already closed — the RTI route remains fully available to obtain the examiner's marks as recorded on your original answer script.

Moderation and Statistical Adjustments

RBSE, like other examination boards, may apply moderation — a statistical process that adjusts raw marks upward or downward based on the difficulty level of the paper or the overall performance of candidates. Ask specifically:

7. Whether any moderation, grace marks, or statistical adjustment was applied to marks in your subject for your examination year
8. If yes: the basis and methodology, the quantum of adjustment applied, and the circular or internal instruction under which it was applied
9. Whether the adjustment was uniform across all candidates in the subject, or applied selectively

This information helps you understand whether your final marks reflect your actual performance on the answer script or have been altered by a post-evaluation process.

Result Compilation and Data Entry Records

A separate but common source of error is the transfer of marks from the answer script to the Board's result system. Ask:

10. Whether any discrepancy was noted between the examiner's marks on your answer script and the marks entered in the Board's result compilation records
11. If a discrepancy was found, how it was resolved and by which officer
12. The date on which your answer script was received at the evaluation centre after the examination, and the date on which it was dispatched after evaluation

This category is particularly valuable when a student suspects a data-entry error — a problem distinct from an evaluation error on the answer script itself.