Mumbai, July 4: In a significant development for the education sector, Prashant Sitaaram Lokhande has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) as of July 3. Lokhande, an IAS officer from the 2001 AGMUT cadre, previously served as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs. He succeeds Rahul Singh, who has been appointed as Additional Secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
This appointment comes at a time when the Indian government has announced a ban on Chinese apps controlling e-rickshaws, a move aimed at enhancing the safety and regulation of the e-rickshaw industry in India.
In related news, during the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum held on July 3, Prime Minister Modi announced the launch of ‘Japan Business Week’ and revealed 129 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at strengthening investment and industrial cooperation between the two nations. Japan has committed over 2 trillion Japanese yen (approximately ₹1.18 lakh crore) in investments in India, which includes funding for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
As the new CBSE Chairman, Lokhande will face the challenge of addressing recent controversies surrounding the online screening system in the board. His leadership is expected to guide CBSE through these pressing issues while fostering educational development in the country.