The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment of Prashant Sitaram Lokhande, a senior Indian Administrative Service officer, as the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education on June 9, 2026. Lokhande succeeds Rahul Singh, who has been transferred as an Additional Secretary to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. This transition comes alongside the appointment of Varun Bhardwaj as the new Secretary of the board, marking a major administrative reshuffle.
Key Leadership Reshuffle at CBSE
The restructuring of the leadership at the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) involves several critical administrative moves approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. Prashant Sitaram Lokhande, who belongs to the 2001 batch of the Indian Administrative Service, will lead the board in the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary. He was previously working as an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
In parallel, Varun Bhardwaj, a 2008-batch Indian Information Service officer, has been selected as the new Secretary of the CBSE. Bhardwaj, who was serving as a Director in the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, succeeds Himanshu Gupta. The Cabinet approved the premature repatriation of Gupta to his parent cadre in the Ministry of Home Affairs, placing him under an extended cooling-off period until December 2030.
Context and Challenges Ahead
The leadership transition at the CBSE occurs during a critical phase when the board is undergoing digital and administrative transformations. The outgoing administration faced substantial feedback and complaints regarding its digital evaluation tools, particularly the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system. Evaluators, students, and parents raised concerns about technical errors, evaluation delays, and procedural issues in processing board examination results.
The appointment of Lokhande as the Chairperson and Bhardwaj as the Secretary is seen as a strategic measure to restore system reliability, implement administrative reforms, and enhance operational efficiency. A primary task for the new leadership will be to address evaluation challenges, refine the board’s digital evaluation infrastructure, and manage public trust.
Understanding the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) is a key governmental committee in India that decides appointments to several top-ranking posts under the Government of India. The committee is headed by the Prime Minister of India, who serves as its Chairperson, and includes the Union Minister of Home Affairs as its member.
The ACC is responsible for approving appointments of top officials, including secretaries, additional secretaries, and joint secretaries in Union ministries, as well as heads of central agencies, public sector undertakings, and regulatory boards like the CBSE.
About the Central Board of Secondary Education
The Central Board of Secondary Education is a national-level board of education in India for public and private schools, managed by the central government. Originally established as the Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Rajputana in 1929, it was reconstituted on July 1, 1962, to expand its services and jurisdiction nationally. Headquartered in New Delhi, it functions under the Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education.
The CBSE is responsible for conducting examinations for Class 10 and Class 12, formulating curriculum guidelines, and granting affiliation to eligible educational institutions across India and in several foreign countries.
Key Takeaways
- Prashant Sitaram Lokhande, a 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service officer, has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education.
- He succeeds Rahul Singh, who has been transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as an Additional Secretary.
- Varun Bhardwaj, a 2008-batch Indian Information Service officer, has been appointed as the new Secretary of the board, succeeding Himanshu Gupta.
- The Central Board of Secondary Education was reconstituted on July 1, 1962, and is headquartered in New Delhi under the Ministry of Education.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, which approved these appointments, is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.
