Mandeep Bhandari, a 2001-batch IAS officer, has been appointed chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), as per a notification issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Friday (September 25, 2026).
Mr. Bhandari, an officer belonging to the AGMUT cadre, has held key leadership and administrative roles across Jammu & Kashmir and Central government departments. Before being appointed as the CBSE chairperson, Mr. Bhandari was principal secretary to the Lt. He also held the additional charge of chief executive officer for the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board while serving in J&K. Mr. Bhandari has also been the private secretary to the Minister of Human Resource Development, as well as deputy commissioner and district magistrate in Leh and Jammu. He has also served as a secretary in the Power Development Department and the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) in Budgam.
He holds an MBBS degree and has previously served as Joint Secretary (Drugs) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor of J&K and served at the Governor’s Office in Jammu since March 2023.
