Central government appoints senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram as new chairman central board of secondary education (CBSE), assigned him this responsibility on an additional charge basis while he continued 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. As per the latest arrangement, Lokhande will continue to serve as additional secretary in the home ministry while heading the country’s largest school education board until a formal chairman is appointed or further orders are issued.
CBSE leadership changes
Lokhande succeeds Rahul Singh, who has been transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as Additional Secretary.The Center also appointed Varun Bhardwaj as the new secretary of CBSE. He succeeds Himanshu Gupta as secretary of the board of directors.The appointments are part of a wider administrative reshuffle aimed at ensuring continuity in the operations of key government agencies.
Modified reservation order
The latest order modifies a government notification issued in June, according to which Lokhande was appointed full-time chairman of CBSE. The revised order now puts him in a dual role, allowing him to continue working in the home ministry while heading CBSE on an interim basis.The government has clarified that he will perform the duties of CBSE chairman until he makes a permanent appointment or issues further instructions.
Who is Lokhand Prashant Sitaram?
Lokhande Prashant Sitaram is a 2001 batch IAS officer of AGMUT cadre and has an academic background in engineering and industrial management.He received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pune and a postgraduate diploma in industrial engineering from the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai. His administrative experience spans a number of important government tasks.
Why appointments are important
The interim arrangements are intended to ensure that CBSE’s administrative and academic responsibilities continue to be discharged without interruption during the leadership transition period.CBSE is India’s largest school education board and oversees more than 30,000 affiliated schools in India and abroad. The board conducts examinations for grades 10 and 12, formulates academic policies and plays a central role in implementing education reforms under national policy initiatives.As board examinations, curriculum reforms and policy implementation remain core responsibilities of CBSE, maintaining stable leadership is considered crucial for the smooth functioning of the organization.here It’s an official notification.
