The Centre has appointed 2001-batch IAS officer Mandeep K. Bhandari as the new chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), bringing an end to the temporary arrangement under which the post had been held as an additional charge.

The appointment was announced on Friday (September 25), with the Centre also deciding to temporarily upgrade the chairperson’s post to the rank and pay of an additional secretary, according to The Times of India.

Bhandari, an IAS officer of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories) cadre, is currently serving as principal secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.

The CBSE chairperson’s post had been held as an additional charge by senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram. Sitaram was also serving as the chief executive officer of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board and had been appointed principal secretary to the Lieutenant Governor on March 6, 2023.

On July 2, Sitaram was appointed additional secretary in the Union Home Ministry while continuing to hold the additional charge of CBSE chairperson.

Bhandari takes over the board at a time when CBSE is dealing with several issues concerning its examination and evaluation systems, along with the implementation of education reforms. The board has faced particular scrutiny over its On-Screen Marking (OSM) system and other aspects of digital evaluation.

According to Hindustan Times, Bhandari’s appointment makes him the third person to head the board in four months amid the controversy surrounding the OSM system. His appointment also ends the interim arrangement under which Sitaram had been overseeing the board.

The change comes as CBSE, one of the country's largest school education boards, prepares to handle its forthcoming examination and academic cycle.

Bhandari’s tenure is therefore expected to bring a new administrative leadership to the board as it deals with concerns surrounding evaluation mechanisms and the rollout of ongoing educational reforms.