# IAS officer Mandeep K Bhandari appointed CBSE chairperson

2026-09-25T18:21:52+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 4 independent outlets

Mandeep K Bhandari, a 2001-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), according to an order from the personnel ministry. Bhandari currently serves as Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. He replaces Lokhande Prashant Sitaram, who had held additional charge since June 2 after the previous incumbent was removed amid a row over the On-Screen Marking system. Bhandari has a medical background with an MBBS degree and has held around 10 postings in over 25 years of service. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the appointment as part of a broader bureaucratic reshuffle that moved several senior officials, including Vipin Kumar and Srikant Nagulapalli, to new roles.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

All four sources report Bhandari's appointment as a routine bureaucratic reshuffle, with no editorial commentary or political framing. The coverage is uniform straight reporting from the personnel ministry order, with Livemint adding biographical detail such as his MBBS qualification. The absence of any critical or pro-government slant suggests the story is treated as a standard administrative transfer. The key watch item will be whether Bhandari addresses the ongoing On-Screen Marking controversy that led to his predecessor's removal.

## Coverage

- timesnownews.com (neutral report) <https://www.timesnownews.com/education/months-after-re-evaluation-row-ias-officer-mandeep-bhandari-named-as-new-cbse-chairman-article-156225751>
  Straight reporting of the appointment order with no editorial framing.
- economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) <https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/new-cbse-chairperson-appointed-senior-ias-officer-mandeep-k-bhandari-to-take-charge/articleshow/134489068.cms>
  Identical wire-style text as Source 1, factual listing of appointments.
- livemint.com (neutral report) <https://www.livemint.com/news/india/who-is-mandeep-k-bhandari-meet-the-new-cbse-chairman-an-ias-officer-with-medical-background-11790355333975.html>
  Adds biographical details like MBBS degree but maintains neutral tone.
- news.abplive.com (neutral report) <https://news.abplive.com/education/mandeep-k-bhandari-takes-over-as-new-cbse-chairperson-1868327>
  PTI wire copy, explicitly states no editing done beyond headline.

Tags: Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, CBSE, Lokhande Prashant Sitaram, Mandeep K Bhandari
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