Who Is Rahul Singh? Engineer-Turned IAS Officer Transferred As CBSE Chairman Amid OSM Row

The Centre on Tuesday transferred CBSE Chairperson Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta amid growing controversy over the board’s On-Screen Marking (OSM) system used in the Class 12 examination process.

The move came after allegations by some students that scanned copies of answer sheets uploaded by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) did not match their handwriting, raising concerns about possible answer-sheet mismatches during digital evaluation.

The board has also faced criticism over technical glitches, delays in verification and re-evaluation, and payment-related issues linked to the OSM system.

The government issued orders replacing the top CBSE officials as concerns mounted among students and parents over the implementation

of the digital marking system. Following the reshuffle, Rahul Singh has been appointed Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Who Is Rahul Singh?

Rahul Singh is a 1996-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Bihar cadre. An engineer by training, he holds a BTech degree in Computer Science and a postgraduate qualification in Public Policy and Management.

Before taking charge of CBSE in March 2024, Singh served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). His combination of technical expertise and administrative experience was seen as a key factor behind his appointment to lead India’s largest school education board.

Singh succeeded Nidhi Chhibber as CBSE Chairperson as part of a broader bureaucratic reshuffle by the Centre. In 2025, the government extended his tenure until November 2027.

During his tenure, CBSE pushed ahead with reforms aimed at modernising examination processes. One of the most significant initiatives was the On-Screen Marking system, designed to digitise answer-sheet evaluation and improve efficiency. However, the system later became the centre of controversy after complaints from students and parents.

Who Are The New CBSE Chairperson And Secretary?

The government has appointed Lokhande Prashant Sitaram as the new CBSE Chairperson. A 2001-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, Sitaram is currently serving as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Varun Bhardwaj, a 2008-batch Indian Information Service officer, has been named the new CBSE Secretary. He is presently serving as Director in the Ministry of Education.

Meanwhile, outgoing CBSE Secretary Himanshu Gupta, a 2012-batch IAS officer, has been repatriated to his parent cadre in the Ministry of Home Affairs on administrative grounds.

(With inputs from agencies)