NEP 2020 Reforms and the 2026 OSM Controversy- Rahul Singh
Former CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh is a 1996-batch IAS officer of the Bihar cadre. He was appointed Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education in March 2024. He was born on August 15, 1971. He was recently removed from this position on June 2, 2026. Rahul Singh is an engineer with a B.Tech degree in Computer Science and a postgraduate degree in Public Policy and Management. Before becoming CBSE chief, he served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training. It is reported that due to the major controversy surrounding the board’s digital evaluation system, the central government has transferred him to the position of Additional Secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. He assumed the position of CBSE Chairman on March 26, 2014. His term was until November 2027, but his tenure was cut short due to the controversy. The on-screen marking system was implemented in the 2026 Class 12 board exams, which led to massive protests by students and parents across the country due to blurred digital scans, missing pages and massive irregularities in evaluation, following which Rahul Singh was removed from his post. Major Works He issued a CBSE circular setting a deadline for schools to introduce education in their mother tongue or regional language from pre-primary to grade 5, and effectively promoted the three-language learning rule at the school level. Under the NEP reforms, he played a significant role in developing a roadmap and structure for conducting board examinations twice a year. His most notable work was implementing a digital evaluation system for checking Class 12 answer sheets. Implementing it without a pilot project led to technical glitches, leading to his removal from office. He also attempted to make the examination more transparent by making the subject-wise distribution of marks in the marking scheme more digital and accurate. Before becoming CBSE Chairperson, she served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Personnel and Training, where she spearheaded technological reforms in training and career development programs for government officials. Following her appointment in June 2026, she now serves as Additional Secretary in the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, taking key policy decisions.
Arjan Singh: Marshal of the Indian Air Force
Arjan Singh—the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be promoted to the five-star rank of Marshal of the Air Force—was born on April 15, 1919, in Lyallpur, Punjab, and passed away on September 16, 2017, in Delhi. Following his retirement from the Air Force, he also served the Government of India in various political, diplomatic, and advisory capacities. From 1989 to 1990, he held the position of Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, and in 2002, he was conferred with the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force. He was the first officer of the Indian Air Force to hold the rank of Air Chief Marshal. Arjan received his early education in Montgomery, British India; he entered the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell, in 1938 and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in 1939. In 1945, he commanded the Indian Air Force’s first demonstration flight. He once faced a court-martial for flying at an extremely low altitude over a populated area in Kerala. He retired from active service in 1969 at the age of 50. In 1971, he was appointed as India’s Ambassador to Switzerland. He displayed unparalleled valor and leadership during the Second World War and the Indo-Pak Wars. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Indian Air Force as a modern and formidable fighting force. After retirement, he rendered diplomatic services to the nation and continued to serve society as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Additionally, he donated ₹2 crore from his personal assets to the Indian Air Force Veterans Fund. Honors and Awards