The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has clarified that students applying for verification and re-evaluation of their answer sheets do not need bank accounts in specific banks to make payments on the portal.The clarification came after claims that payments could only be made through a limited number of banks, creating confusion among students and parents.In a post on X, CBSE said students can use any of the available payment gateways on the Verification and Re-evaluation portal without having an account in the listed banks.“Payment gateways of SBI, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda and Indian Bank are available on the Verification and Re-evaluation portal. Students need not have an account with these banks to complete payment,” the board said.CBSE explained that candidates can make payments through several online modes. These include UPI, net banking, credit cards and debit cards using the designated payment gateways available on the portal.The board said students are free to choose any of these options while completing their applications.To reassure students, CBSE shared data on the number of successful applications submitted through the portal.According to the board, nearly 40,000 students had completed the application process successfully by 9.30 am on Wednesday.The clarification came after Delhi Leader of Opposition Atishi alleged that students could make payments only through accounts held with State Bank of India, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda or Indian Bank.In a post on X, she criticised the Centre and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the issue and claimed the payment process was causing difficulties for students.CBSE is facing questions over alleged irregularities in the evaluation of Class 12 answer sheets and technical issues reported on its post-result services portal.