Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held detailed discussions with senior officials of four public sector banks on Tuesday. The meetings were held to review and upgrade the payment gateway system of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The Education Minister had talks with officials from the State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, and Indian Bank, The Hindu reported.
The meeting focused on improving the digital payment ecosystem used for CBSE services, particularly post-examination processes such as re-evaluation, photocopy requests of answer sheets, and other fee-based student services.
Union govt focuses on secure and student-friendly system
Pradhan stressed the need for a robust, reliable, and student-friendly payment mechanism to ensure smooth digital transactions without disruptions.
He directed banks to work closely with CBSE to strengthen payment protocols. This includes real-time monitoring systems, advanced technical safeguards, faster grievance redressal, immediate resolution of failed transactions, and automatic refunds for excess or unsuccessful payments, as per the report.
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A senior Education Ministry official told The Hindu, "The banks have been asked to work closely with CBSE to strengthen the payment gateway infrastructure through advanced technical safeguards, real-time monitoring, and faster grievance redressal mechanisms."
The Education Minister also instructed that the initiative be treated with high priority so that students do not face technical glitches or payment failures during critical academic processes.
Banks assure full support
The four banks assured full cooperation and said they would implement upgraded systems and technical improvements in coordination with CBSE at the earliest.
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Earlier, on May 24, Dharmendra Pradhan had also held discussions with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman regarding payment-related and technical issues faced by students during CBSE post-result and re-evaluation procedures.
The latest meeting is part of ongoing efforts to improve digital infrastructure and ensure seamless, secure, and efficient online transactions for students across the CBSE system.
