The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has appointed 2001-batch IAS officer Mandeep K Bhandari as its new chairperson, with the government upgrading the post temporarily to the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary. His appointment comes months after the board faced criticism over the rollout of its On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for evaluating Class 12 answer sheets.The appointment places Bhandari at the helm of the country’s largest school education board at a time when CBSE is dealing with questions around digital evaluation, answer-sheet access, cybersecurity and the implementation of examination reforms.
Mandeep K Bhandari appointed CBSE chairman
According to the government order issued on September 25, Bhandari, an IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed Chairperson of CBSE under the Ministry of Education. The order also records that the post has been temporarily upgraded to the rank and pay of an Additional Secretary to the Government of India.The appointment was among the senior-level appointments approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.Bhandari’s appointment comes after a leadership change at CBSE earlier this year. In June, the Centre transferred then CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta amid the controversy surrounding the board’s On-Screen Marking system and ordered an inquiry into the procurement of OSM-related services.
CBSE’s OSM system faced complaints
CBSE introduced On-Screen Marking for Class 12 answer books in 2026 as part of its move towards digital evaluation. Under the system, physical answer sheets were scanned and made available to evaluators for digital assessment.The board had issued instructions for teacher data collection, mock evaluation and the use of the OSM platform before the examination evaluation process. Its official examination circulars show that CBSE conducted mock exercises and issued detailed instructions for the new system in February 2026.However, the system came under scrutiny after students began accessing scanned copies of their evaluated answer sheets following the declaration of results.Students reported problems including blurred scans, missing pages and instances where the answer sheets displayed on the portal allegedly did not correspond to their records. The post-result process also faced technical disruptions.CBSE subsequently issued a notice regarding verification of issues observed in scanned copies of answer books and re-evaluation of answers. The board also lodged a complaint with Delhi Police over coordinated cyberattacks on its post-result services portal.
OSM controversy widened beyond technical glitches
The controversy eventually moved beyond student complaints about scanned answer sheets.Questions were raised over the procurement of services for the OSM system and the security arrangements surrounding the digital evaluation process. The Centre ordered a probe into the procurement of OSM services in June and transferred the then CBSE chairman and secretary.There were also public claims about vulnerabilities in an OSM-related platform. CBSE rejected claims that its operational evaluation system had been compromised, saying a platform cited in those allegations was a testing site containing sample data and was not the system used for actual assessment work. The claims and counterclaims were not independently verified.The controversy also attracted parliamentary scrutiny, with education officials, CERT-In and student representatives summoned in connection with concerns surrounding the OSM system, including alleged technical problems and post-result verification issues.
Who is Mandeep K Bhandari?
Bhandari is a 2001-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre. He has held several administrative positions in Jammu and Kashmir as well as at the Centre.He has served as Deputy Commissioner of Leh and Deputy Commissioner of Jammu and later worked as Divisional Commissioner, Jammu. His administrative experience also includes responsibilities in Jammu and Kashmir’s health and medical education sectors.Bhandari is an MBBS graduate. At the Centre, he served as Private Secretary to the Union Human Resource Development Minister between January and September 2018. He subsequently served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.He has also served as Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.
What lies ahead for the new CBSE chief
Bhandari takes charge as CBSE continues preparations for the 2026-27 academic and examination cycle. The board has already begun processes linked to the next Class X and Class XII examinations, including submission of the List of Candidates by schools.The new chairperson will oversee the board’s examination system as CBSE continues to implement digital processes while addressing concerns that emerged during the first large-scale use of OSM.For students, schools and teachers, the focus will remain on the reliability of evaluation, access to answer sheets, examination security and the smooth functioning of post-result services. The transition to digital evaluation has already become an important part of CBSE’s examination administration, making the functioning and oversight of these systems a major responsibility for the new leadership.
