Who Is Mandeep K Bhandari? Meet The Doctor-Turned-IAS Officer Appointed As CBSE Chief

Mandeep K Bhandari, a 2001-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the AGMUT cadre, has been appointed the new chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

The appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and notified by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on September 25.

Bhandari takes charge of CBSE at a time when the board is overseeing major responsibilities, including school affiliations, curriculum implementation, Class 10 and Class 12 examinations, and changes in assessment systems across India and abroad.

From Medicine To Civil Services

Before entering the IAS, Bhandari trained as a doctor. He completed his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana, under Punjab University, Chandigarh. His transition from medicine to administration marked an unusual path into the civil services.

After qualifying for the UPSC Civil Services Examination, Bhandari joined the IAS and began a career spanning more than two decades in government administration.

Administrative Career Across J-K, Centre

An AGMUT-cadre officer, Bhandari has served in several roles across Union Territories and the Centre.

His assignments have included positions such as Deputy Commissioner, Additional Development Commissioner, Additional Secretary, Joint Secretary, Private Secretary to a Union minister and Chief Administrative Officer.

During his career, he has held key administrative positions in Jammu and Kashmir, including Deputy Commissioner of Leh and Deputy Commissioner of Jammu. He has also served as Divisional Commissioner of Jammu and Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.

Bhandari has also handled responsibilities related to Jammu and Kashmir’s Health and Medical Education department.

At the Centre, he served as Private Secretary to the Union Human Resource Development Minister between January and September 2018. He later became Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Before his appointment as CBSE chairperson, Bhandari was serving as Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. He was also holding charge as the Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board.

Appointment Ahead Reform Challenges

Bhandari’s appointment comes after CBSE faced scrutiny over the rollout of its On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class 12 answer-book evaluation in 2026.

Under the system, physical answer sheets were scanned and made available digitally to evaluators. CBSE had issued instructions and conducted mock exercises before implementing the system.

However, after the results were announced, some students reported issues related to scanned answer sheets, including unclear pages, missing pages and instances where students claimed they received answer books belonging to others. Complaints were also raised over technical issues related to payments and post-result services.

The government later formed a committee headed by Capacity Building Commission chairperson S Radha Chauhan to examine procurement-related aspects of the OSM system.

CBSE defended the evaluation process and said some allegations regarding scanning irregularities were factually incorrect.

Full-Time Head After Interim Arrangement

Bhandari’s appointment brings a full-time chairperson to CBSE after Lokhande Prashant Sitaram held additional charge of the post.

Sitaram was appointed CBSE chairperson in June 2026 while serving as Additional Secretary in the Union Home Ministry. He was later moved to the Home Ministry while continuing to hold additional charge of CBSE.

Following changes in the board’s leadership, Varun Bhardwaj was appointed as CBSE Secretary.

Challenges Ahead At CBSE

As CBSE chairperson, Bhandari will oversee the board’s examination cycle, curriculum-related decisions, school affiliation process and ongoing reforms in assessment systems.

His immediate responsibilities include preparing the board for the upcoming academic cycle while addressing concerns raised during the implementation of digital evaluation reforms.

CBSE has already released instructions for Class 10 and Class 12 registrations for the 2026-27 academic session, with examination-related changes continuing to remain a key focus area for the board.