Lokhande Sitaram named CBSE chief, Varun Bhardwaj Secretary after OSM row

The Centre on Tuesday appointed senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram as the new Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and named Varun Bhardwaj as its new Secretary, replacing Rahul Singh and Himanshu Gupta in a major leadership reshuffle that comes amid a growing controversy over the board's On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.

The appointments were announced hours after the government



ordered an inquiry into the procurement of services related to the OSM system, which has faced criticism from students and parents over alleged irregularities, technical glitches and delays in the verification process.

The reshuffle quickly drew a political response, with Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge accusing the government of attempting a "cover-up" rather than fixing accountability.