While the controversy surrounding the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class XII On-Screen Marking (OSM) system continues to deepen, the flood of applications seeking scanned copies of evaluated answer sheets has turned into a major revenue generation for the board despite a substantial reduction in fee.According to information, 4,04,319 students from across the country have applied for obtaining scanned copies of their evaluated answer books till Wednesday evening, while more than 20,000 applications have been received at the Ludhiana-based regional office alone.After revision, the fee for obtaining a scanned copy of an evaluated answer sheet has been reduced from Rs 700 to Rs 100 per subject by the CBSE.Similarly, the fee for verification of marks, which includes checking clerical errors such as totaling mistake and unchecked answers, has been cut from Rs 500 to Rs 100, while the fee for re-evaluation has been reduced from Rs 100 to Rs 25 per question. A simple calculation suggests that applications for scanned copies alone could fetch the CBSE over Rs 4 crore.An educationist said the entire controversy had effectively become a money spinner for the board. “After discrepancies surfaced in Class XII results, a large number of students applied for scanned copies of answer-sheets. Though the board reduced fee, the sheer volume of applications means it will still earn substantial revenue,” the educationist said.Meanwhile, many students are still awaiting answer-sheets even after more than 10 days of applying.DP Guleria, CBSE coordinator in Ludhiana, admitted that several students had not yet received scanned copies. “The CBSE is working on the issue and if it is not resolved soon, the board may further extend the deadline,” he said.The information on the board’s website states that the portal for applications for verification and re-evaluation of answer books is expected to go live by May 29 following the nationwide rollout of the digital answer-sheet checking system.CBSE Regional Officer Sanjay Bisht could not be reached despite repeated attempts.