Mandeep K Bhandari Appointed New CBSE Chairperson

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has appointed 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Mandeep K Bhandari as its new chairperson. The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and notified through a government order issued on September 25th, 2026. The post of CBSE chairperson has also been temporarily upgraded to the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India. Bhandari belongs to the AGMUT cadre and was serving as Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir before his appointment to CBSE. He has held several administrative positions during his career, including assignments at the Centre and in Union Territories. His appointment comes at a significant time for the board, which oversees examinations, school affiliation and academic responsibilities for CBSE-affiliated schools in India and abroad.

A New Leadership Phase for CBSE

The appointment follows a series of leadership changes at the board during 2026. Lokhande Prashant Sitaram had been given charge of the CBSE chairperson's position in June after Rahul Singh was transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Sitaram was subsequently appointed Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs while continuing to hold additional charge at CBSE. Bhandari's appointment now brings another change at the top of the national school board. For EducationNewsNetwork, the leadership change is significant because CBSE is responsible for several processes that directly affect schools, students and teachers, including board examinations, affiliation, curriculum-related matters and examination reforms. The board is also implementing measures connected with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Background to the OSM Controversy

Bhandari took charge after CBSE faced criticism over the introduction of its On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for evaluating Class 12th answer sheets during the 2026 examinations. Under the system, physical answer books were scanned and made available digitally to evaluators for assessment.

Students and parents raised concerns relating to technical glitches, access to answer sheets, and issues surrounding the digital evaluation process. The concerns extended beyond the functioning of the platform, with questions also raised about the procurement and implementation of OSM services. The government subsequently ordered a one-member inquiry committee headed by S Radha Chauhan, Chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission, to examine the procurement of services for the system.

CBSE's own examination circulars show that the board introduced OSM for Class XII examinations in February 2026 and subsequently issued notices relating to scanned answer books and post-result facilities. The board's examination section continues to publish updates concerning these processes.

Areas on the CBSE Agenda

With a new chairperson taking charge, several ongoing areas will remain important for the board:

• Board examinations: CBSE conducts examinations for Classes 10th and 12th and manages related examination processes

• Digital evaluation: The implementation and functioning of OSM and other technology-enabled examination processes remain important areas

• School affiliation: CBSE oversees affiliation-related matters for schools in India and abroad

• Academic reforms: The board continues to work on curriculum and examination reforms associated with NEP 2020

• Student services: Processes involving answer-book access, post-result facilities and examination-related corrections continue to form part of CBSE's responsibilities

What Lies Ahead

The appointment of Mandeep K Bhandari places him at the head of CBSE during an important period in the board's examination and administrative calendar. Current activities include the submission of the List of Candidates for the 2026-27 Class X and XII examinations, alongside other examination-related processes. TopEducationNews will continue to cover developments concerning CBSE, board examinations, school education policies, and other updates that affect students, teachers, and affiliated institutions. The new appointment is expected to remain closely followed as the board moves ahead with its examination schedule and ongoing administrative responsibilities.