Now Reading: Mandeep K Bhandari appointed new CBSE chairperson after OSM row
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Mandeep K Bhandari appointed new CBSE chairperson after OSM row
The Story in Brief
Senior bureaucrat Mandeep K Bhandari, a 2001-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), according to an order from the personnel ministry issued on 25 September 2026. He is currently Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Bhandari replaces Lokhande Prashant Sitaram, who had held additional charge since 2 June after the previous incumbent was removed amid the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system controversy.
Bhandari, an MBBS graduate from Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, has over 25 years of service and has held around 10 postings. His appointment, approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, makes him the third CBSE chairperson in four months, Hindustan Times reports. The board is still dealing with complaints over the OSM system, including technical glitches and procurement irregularities, with a one-member inquiry ordered earlier.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Coverage is uniform across all new sources, with every outlet reporting the appointment as a factual government reshuffle. Most outlets, including Times of India, NDTV, and Business Today, lead with Bhandari's credentials and career, while Hindustan Times foregrounds the leadership churn by noting he is the third CBSE chief in four months. India TV and Times Now mention the OSM controversy as context but do not foreground criticism. The only framing difference is the depth of OSM background: longer pieces from Hindustan Times and Times of India detail the controversy, while shorter reports from NDTV and Business Today mention it briefly. No outlet adopts a critical stance toward the government. The appointment, effective immediately, ends the interim arrangement that began on 2 June.
Coverage: 11 sources, 11 neutral
Sources (11): timesnownews.com (neutral report), economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report), livemint.com (neutral report), abplive.com (neutral report), hindustantimes.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2) (neutral report), ndtv.com (neutral report), businesstoday.in (neutral report), ndtv.com (2) (neutral report), indiatvnews.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 11 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 30 September 2026: this story now draws on 11 sources.
