Kharge slams CBSE chief transfer as 'eye-wash', demands Pradhan's sacking
Synopsis
Kharge isn't buying the CBSE reshuffle. Hours after the Centre transferred the board's Chairman and Secretary over the On-Screen Marking mess, the Congress chief called it a 'whitewash' and demanded PM Modi sack Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan — framing the row as a justice issue for 18.5 lakh Class 12 students.
Key Takeaways
Mallikarjun Kharge on 2 June called the CBSE Chairman-Secretary transfer a 'mere eye-wash' and demanded Dharmendra Pradhan's sacking.
Lokhande Prashant Sitaram was appointed new CBSE Chairman; Varun Bhardwaj named Secretary.
Previous Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta were transferred out.
The reshuffle follows allegations of glitches and procurement irregularities in the On-Screen Marking (OSM) system for Class 12 evaluation.
A one-member committee has been set up to probe OSM procurement; report awaited.
Kharge said the move denies justice to 18.5 lakh CBSE students.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday, 2 June launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the transfer of the CBSE Chairman and Secretary amid the deepening row over the board's digital evaluation system, calling the move a “mere eye-wash”. In a strongly worded post on X, Kharge demanded the immediate removal of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, arguing it was the only step that could deliver justice to 18.5 lakh CBSE students.
Kharge's Charge
The Congress chief wrote that the transfer of the CBSE Chairman and Secretary was a “mere eyewash” and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately sack Pradhan. He added that nothing less than that would provide a sense of justice to the lakhs of students affected.
“Big Breaking is not this whitewashing, the Real News is Pradhan's continuation despite all this!” Kharge said in his post.
New Appointments at CBSE
Hours before Kharge's broadside, the government appointed senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram as the new Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Senior bureaucrat Varun Bhardwaj, a 2008-batch Indian Information Service officer, was appointed the new CBSE Secretary.
The appointments came shortly after the previous Chairman, Rahul Singh, and Secretary Himanshu Gupta, were transferred out of the national education board.
OSM System Under Fire
The leadership reshuffle follows serious allegations of irregularities in the newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system used to evaluate Class 12 answer sheets. The OSM framework, intended to bring transparency and efficiency to exam evaluation, has reportedly been hit by technical glitches, delays, and questions over the procurement process — drawing flak from students, teachers, and opposition parties.
Probe Panel Set Up
In a related development, the government has constituted a one-member committee to investigate procurement-related concerns around the OSM system. The panel is expected to submit its findings and recommend corrective measures at the earliest.
Students and parents have demanded a swift resolution and stronger safeguards to prevent a recurrence in future examinations. With the Opposition sharpening its pitch and the new CBSE leadership taking charge under a cloud, the panel's report will be closely watched in the coming weeks.
Point of View
Retain the minister, contain the headline. Kharge's framing flips that script by making Pradhan, not the bureaucracy, the political question. The deeper issue is procurement: OSM was sold as a transparency upgrade, yet the very contract awarding it is now under one-member scrutiny. Unless the panel's findings are made public and procurement norms tightened, the next exam cycle risks the same trust deficit — only with new names at the top.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has Mallikarjun Kharge called the CBSE transfers an 'eye-wash'?
Kharge argued that transferring the CBSE Chairman and Secretary does not address accountability at the ministerial level. He demanded that PM Modi sack Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, saying nothing less would deliver justice to 18.5 lakh Class 12 students affected by the On-Screen Marking row.
Who is the new CBSE Chairman?
Senior IAS officer Lokhande Prashant Sitaram has been appointed the new Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education. Varun Bhardwaj, a 2008-batch Indian Information Service officer, has been named the new CBSE Secretary.
What is the CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy?
The OSM system, introduced to digitally evaluate Class 12 answer sheets, has reportedly faced technical glitches, evaluation delays, and questions over how the service contract was procured. The fallout has triggered criticism from students, teachers, and opposition parties.
What action has the government taken on the OSM issue?
The government has constituted a one-member committee to investigate procurement-related concerns around the OSM system. The panel is expected to submit its findings and recommend corrective steps at the earliest.
Who were the previous CBSE Chairman and Secretary?
Rahul Singh was the previous CBSE Chairman and Himanshu Gupta was the Secretary. Both were transferred out of the board hours before the new appointments were announced.
