CBSE Crisis: LP Sitaram appointed new Chairman, Varun Bhardwaj takes charge as Secretary amid evaluation row
NEW DELHI: In a major damage-control exercise following consecutive lapses in the evaluation of Class 12 answer sheets, the Union Government has removed the top leadership of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta have been ousted from their positions. Sources indicate that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally intervened and ordered the swift crackdown as mounting controversies threatened to permanently damage the national board's credibility.
Lokhande Prashant Sitaram, who previously served as an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been appointed as the new CBSE Chairman. Varun Bhardwaj, an IAS officer, will take over as the new Secretary. Outgoing Chairman Rahul Singh has been shunted to the Ministry of Agriculture, while Himanshu Gupta has been reassigned to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Chairman and Secretary directly oversee CBSE's examinations, administration, and daily operations. The government's decisive action follows massive public outrage and student distress caused by a flawed rollout of the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system, compounded by persistent technical glitches on the re-evaluation web portal.
Inquiry ordered into OSM contract
The government has ordered a high-level inquiry into alleged irregularities in the OSM contract, to be spearheaded by S. Radha Chauhan, Chairperson of the Central Capacity Building Commission. The inquiry panel has been directed to submit its findings within a month to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), which functions directly under the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, the newly restored web portal for re-evaluation applications faced relentless cyberattacks immediately after going live. Officials noted over 100,000 unauthorised login attempts within a matter of minutes. However, the portal remained resilient and continued to function efficiently.
Union Minister under fire
The development comes at a highly sensitive time, with a Union Cabinet reshuffle reportedly on the horizon, fueling intense speculation that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan may be dropped from the cabinet.
Serious allegations have surfaced regarding major violations in tender conditions to favour Hyderabad-based Coyempt Edutech, the firm that secured the OSM contract. The Minister’s alleged close ties with the company's owners have further fueled the political firestorm.
Compounding the board's legal troubles, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) has approached the Delhi High Court, filing a petition that demands a return to the traditional evaluation method in light of the OSM irregularities.
Whistleblower student testifies before Parliamentary Panel
In a significant twist, Sarthak Siddhant, a Class 12 student who initially exposed the tender discrepancies on social media, testified before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education.
- Tender Discrepancies: Sarthak presented a detailed breakdown of approximately 15 anomalies within the OSM tender process to the committee.
- Rule Tweaks: The student whistleblower alleged that a crucial clause—which mandated the disqualification of the service provider in case of poor performance during the scanning process—was deliberately removed.
- Probe Widens: The Standing Committee investigating the OSM controversy has begun summoning both aggrieved students and top board officials to record their statements.