The central government has appointed senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram as the new chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), assigning him the responsibility on an additional charge basis while he continues to serve in the Ministry of Home Affairs.The appointment follows a revised order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) on July 2, 2026. Under the latest agreement, Lokhande will continue as Additional Secretary in the Department of Home Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, while heading the country’s largest board of school education until a regular chairman has been appointed or other orders.
Change of leadership in CBSE
Lokhande replaces Rahul Singh, who has been transferred to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as Additional Secretary.The Center has also appointed Varun Bhardwaj as the new Secretary of CBSE. He succeeds Himanshu Gupta, who served as Board Secretary.The appointments come as part of a wider administrative overhaul aimed at ensuring continuity in the operation of key government institutions.
Revised order of appointment
The latest order modifies an earlier government notification issued in June, under which Lokhande had been appointed full-time CBSE chairman. The revised order now puts him in a dual role, allowing him to continue in the Ministry of Home Affairs while simultaneously heading CBSE on an interim basis.The government has clarified that it will shoulder the responsibilities of the CBSE chairman until a permanent appointment is made or until further directions are issued.
Who is Lokhande Prashant Sitaram?
Lokhande Prashant Sitaram is a 2001-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre with an academic background in engineering and industrial management.He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pune before completing a Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Engineering from the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai. His administrative experience covers many important assignments in government.
Why dating matters
The interim agreement is intended to ensure that CBSE’s administrative and academic responsibilities continue uninterrupted during the leadership transition.CBSE is India’s largest school education board, overseeing more than 30,000 affiliated schools in India and abroad. The Board conducts Class 10 and Class 12 examinations, frames academic policies, and plays a central role in implementing educational reforms under national policy initiatives.With board examinations, curriculum reforms, and policy implementation remaining among CBSE’s core responsibilities, maintaining stable leadership is considered essential for the smooth functioning of the organization.Here is the official notice.
