Overview
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet issued a revised order on July 2 that posts Lokhande Prashant Sitaram as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs and gives him the additional charge of CBSE chairperson.
- The July 2 order supersedes an earlier June 2 notification that had named Lokhande the full‑time CBSE chairperson, converting that earlier regular appointment into an interim stewardship.
- The leadership moves followed reporting of examiner complaints, unexplained mark changes and technical problems with CBSE’s On‑Screen Marking system and a government order on June 2 for a one‑member inquiry led by S. Radha Chauhan into OSM procurement.
- Lokhande is a 2001‑batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer who has been serving as Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry since April 1 and will now divide duties between MHA and the national school board on an interim basis.
- The government says the arrangement is meant to keep CBSE’s exam and school‑affiliation work running without disruption while a regular chairperson is appointed and the procurement inquiry is completed, and stakeholders should watch for the final appointment and the inquiry’s findings.