The Central government on Tuesday (June 2, 2026) appointed Lokhande Prashant Sitaram (IAS:2001:AGMUT) as Chairperson and Varun Bhardwaj (Indian Information Service:2008) as Secretary of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), alongside the transfer of Chairman Rahul Singh (IAS:1996:BH) and premature repatriation of Secretary Himanshu Gupta (IAS:2012:AGMUT).
According to orders issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), Lokhande Prashant Sitaram, currently serving as Additional Secretary, Department of Home under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been appointed as Chairperson, CBSE under the Ministry of Education.
He has been appointed in the rank and pay of Additional Secretary and replaces Rahul Singh (IAS:1996:BH), who has been transferred as Additional Secretary in the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
In a parallel development, Varun Bhardwaj (IinfoS:2008), currently serving as Director in the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, has been appointed as Secretary (Director level), CBSE under the Department of School Education and Literacy.
Bhardwaj has been appointed on deputation basis under the Central Staffing Scheme on lateral shift basis in place of Himanshu Gupta (IAS:2012:AGMUT), who has been prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre, Ministry of Home Affairs.
According to the order, Bhardwaj will serve up to September 19, 2027, constituting his combined five-year tenure under the Central Staffing Scheme.
The appointments complete a simultaneous transition in CBSE’s top leadership amid scrutiny surrounding the board’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.
Get Latest Updates