Archive · 26 Sep 2026
Mandeep Bhandari Appointed CBSE Chairperson After On-Screen Marking Controversy
Mandeep K Bhandari has been chosen to lead the Central Board of Secondary Education.
He is a senior government officer from the 2001 IAS batch.
He was working as Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Cabinet committee that approves senior appointments accepted his appointment.
The change happened during a larger government reshuffle on Friday.
It came nearly four months after CBSE’s digital answer-checking system faced criticism.
Students had complained about the system, and officials also examined evaluation, purchasing and security issues.
Lokhande Prashant Sitaram had been temporarily handling the CBSE chairperson’s duties before moving to the Union Home Ministry.
The Centre appointed 2001-batch IAS officer Mandeep K Bhandari as CBSE chairperson.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment through a personnel ministry order.
Bhandari, an AGMUT-cadre officer, is currently Principal Secretary to Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor.
The appointment follows scrutiny of CBSE’s On-Screen Marking system over evaluation, procurement and security concerns.
Lokhande Prashant Sitaram, who held additional charge, moved to the Union Home Ministry as Additional Secretary.
- Who
- Mandeep K Bhandari, a 2001-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, was appointed CBSE chairperson.
- What
- The Centre approved Bhandari’s appointment as chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education.
- When
- The appointment was announced on Friday, nearly four months after scrutiny of CBSE’s On-Screen Marking system.
- Where
- Bhandari is moving from his post as Principal Secretary to Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor to lead CBSE.
- Why
- The appointment was part of a broader bureaucratic reshuffle and followed scrutiny of CBSE’s On-Screen Marking system.
- Appointee
- Mandeep K Bhandari
- New position
- Chairperson, Central Board of Secondary Education
- Cadre and batch
- AGMUT cadre, 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service officer
- Current position
- Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir
- Approving authority
- Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
- Appointment order
- Issued by the personnel ministry
- Previous additional-charge holder
- Lokhande Prashant Sitaram
- Related controversy
- Complaints and concerns over CBSE’s On-Screen Marking system, evaluation, procurement and security
