Senior IAS officer Mandeep K Bhandari has been appointed the new chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), taking charge of the national school education board at a time when its examination and digital evaluation systems remain under scrutiny.
The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet through an order issued on September 25. Bhandari, a 2001-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed chairperson in the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India. The post has been temporarily upgraded for the appointment.
Bhandari succeeds Lokhande Prashant Sitaram and becomes the third person to head CBSE in less than four months. The frequent changes at the top follow the controversy surrounding the board’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, which was introduced for the evaluation of Class 12 answer sheets in 2026.
The OSM system was designed to move answer-sheet evaluation from the traditional paper-based process to a digital platform. Under the system, physical answer books were scanned and made available to examiners for online assessment. CBSE had conducted mock evaluations and issued instructions to schools and teachers ahead of the rollout.
The shift, however, was followed by complaints from students and concerns from examiners. Some students who sought copies of their evaluated answer books reported blurred scans, missing pages and, in some cases, answer books that they said did not belong to them. Technical problems with the payment and online access process also added to the difficulties.
The controversy also raised questions about data security and the procurement of services for the digital evaluation system. In June, the government ordered a one-member inquiry headed by S. Radha Chauhan, chairperson of the Capacity Building Commission, to examine the procurement of OSM-related services. At the same time, CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta were moved out of their positions.
CBSE subsequently opened facilities for students to report issues noticed in scanned answer books and seek re-evaluation. The board’s official examination records show that a portal for verification of issues and re-evaluation of Class 12 answers was opened on June 2, followed by the release of re-evaluation outcomes later that month.
The board also reported a cyber-related incident during the post-result period. Its official website recorded that CBSE lodged a complaint with Delhi Police over coordinated cyber attacks on its post-result services portal in June.
Bhandari brings a wide administrative background to the position. According to his government profile, he is a 2001-batch AGMUT officer and holds an MBBS degree. He has served in several senior roles in Jammu and Kashmir and at the Centre. His earlier assignments include Deputy Commissioner of Leh, Deputy Commissioner of Jammu and Divisional Commissioner of Jammu.
He also served as Private Secretary to the Union Human Resource Development Minister between January and September 2018 before moving to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as Joint Secretary. He has also held responsibilities connected with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and Jammu and Kashmir’s health and medical education administration.
His appointment comes as CBSE continues to manage a wide range of responsibilities covering Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations, school affiliation, curriculum development and examination reforms. The board is also implementing changes linked to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The immediate focus for the new CBSE chairman is likely to include strengthening examination systems, improving the reliability of digital evaluation and addressing concerns around access, data security and post-result services. The board’s move towards technology-driven assessment is expected to continue, but the experience of the 2026 examinations has placed greater attention on how such systems are implemented and monitored.
Bhandari’s arrival therefore comes at an important point for CBSE. With board examinations affecting millions of students, teachers and families each year, confidence in the evaluation process remains central to the board’s functioning. His tenure will begin with the task of steering the organisation through ongoing examination reforms while ensuring that digital systems remain dependable, secure and accessible to students.
