Mandeep Bhandari Appointed New CBSE Chairperson

NEW DELHI, Sept 28: Senior IAS officer Mandeep K Bhandari has been appointed the new chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), bringing a new administrative leadership to the national school education board at a time when it is overseeing examination reforms, curriculum changes and preparations for the 2027 board examinations.

The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and notified by the Department of Personnel and Training. Bhandari, a 2001-batch officer of the AGMUT cadre, will replace Lokhande Prashant Sitaram, who had been holding additional charge of the CBSE chairperson’s post.

Bhandari is currently serving as Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. His appointment comes as the CBSE continues to manage academic and examination related responsibilities for affiliated schools across India and abroad.

The change in leadership assumes significance as the board moves into an important phase of the 2026-27 academic session. Schools are currently completing formalities connected with the Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations scheduled for 2027. The submission of the List of Candidates (LOC), which began earlier this month, is among the key administrative processes being handled by schools ahead of the examinations.

The CBSE has also released sample question papers and marking schemes for the 2027 Class 10 and Class 12 examinations. These resources are intended to give students and teachers a clearer understanding of the examination format and assessment approach for the coming board exams.

Bhandari’s appointment follows a period of changes in the board’s senior leadership. Lokhande had been given additional responsibility after the Centre transferred former CBSE chairperson Rahul Singh in June. The leadership transition has taken place while the board has been dealing with scrutiny surrounding examination-related processes, including the implementation of on-screen marking.

As chairperson, Bhandari will be responsible for overseeing the functioning of an institution that plays a central role in school education, examinations and academic administration. CBSE-affiliated schools operate across different parts of the country and in several locations outside India, making coordination between the board, schools, teachers, students and parents a major part of its responsibilities.

The appointment also comes against the backdrop of continuing changes in school curricula under the National Education Policy framework. The CBSE and the National Council of Educational Research and Training are working on curriculum and textbook changes designed around competencies and learning outcomes rather than relying only on conventional chapter-based structures.

The transition is therefore taking place at a time when schools are adapting to changes in teaching, assessment and learning resources. For students appearing in board examinations next year, the immediate focus remains on completing registration formalities, understanding the examination pattern and preparing according to the prescribed curriculum.

Bhandari’s administrative experience is expected to be relevant to the wide-ranging responsibilities of the post. Before his appointment to the CBSE, he served in senior government positions, including his current assignment in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Department of Personnel and Training’s order forms part of a broader bureaucratic reshuffle involving appointments in several Union ministries and departments. Ankita Mishra Bundela, a 2001-batch AGMUT cadre officer, has also been appointed Additional Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

For the CBSE, the coming months will involve several major academic deadlines. Schools will have to ensure that candidate details for board examinations are submitted correctly, while students will continue preparing for the Class 10 and Class 12 examinations using the newly issued academic material.

The board will also remain involved in implementing examination and assessment systems across its affiliated institutions. The appointment of a full-time chairperson comes at a stage when these responsibilities require coordination between policy decisions and their execution at the school level.

The new leadership will consequently inherit an extensive administrative agenda covering examinations, curriculum implementation, affiliation matters and academic standards. The immediate academic calendar, however, remains focused on preparations for the 2027 board examinations.

Bhandari’s appointment places an experienced civil servant at the helm of CBSE as the board enters this important phase of the academic year. His tenure will coincide with continued implementation of school education reforms and efforts to align teaching and assessment practices with evolving national curriculum objectives.