The central government has appointed senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram as the new chairman of the Central Council of Secondary Education (CBSE), assigning him the responsibility with an additional charge 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. According to the latest arrangement, 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 is appointed or further orders are issued.
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 was serving as secretary to the board.The appointments are part of a wider administrative reshuffle aimed at ensuring continuity in the functioning of key government institutions.
Revised appointment order
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 places him in a dual role, allowing him to continue in the Ministry of Home Affairs while also heading CBSE on an interim basis.The government has clarified that he will carry out the responsibilities of the CBSE chairman until a permanent appointment is made or until further instructions are issued.
Who is Lokhande Prashant Sitaram?
Lokhande Prashant Sitaram is a 2001 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre with academic background in engineering and industrial management.He obtained 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 several important tasks in government.
Why dating matters
The interim agreement aims to ensure that CBSE’s academic and administrative responsibilities continue uninterrupted during the leadership transition.CBSE is India’s largest board of school education, overseeing more than 30,000 affiliated schools in India and abroad. The board conducts class 10 and class 12 examinations, sets 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.