Dr Joseph Emmanuel

Dr Joseph Emmanuel stands at the helm of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), a Premier Indian National Educational Body renowned for administering the Class X and XII examinations across India. As the Chief Executive and Secretary of CISCE, Dr Emmanuel leads a vibrant community of over 3 million students and 150,000 teachers across more than 3,000 affiliated schools, not just in India but also in the Middle East and South Asia.

With a career spanning nearly three decades in the education sector, Dr Emmanuel has held pivotal roles: most notably within the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), where he served as Director of Academics and Secretary of the Board. His tenure at CBSE is marked by significant contributions, including his appointment by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, as the National Project Manager for the Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA), a global benchmark conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Dr Emmanuel’s visionary leadership has seen the integration of cutting-edge technology in the conduct of examinations, student services, and school affiliations. He played a crucial role in establishing CBSE Centres of Excellence across India, dedicated to the capacity building of school heads and teachers. His efforts as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) were instrumental in the successful introduction of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), a landmark national-level single entrance examination for MBBS and BDS admissions. He was also instrumental in integrating technology with CBSE examinations and Students Services which has impacted 4.5 million students in the country annually.

During his tenure, CBSE released more than 110 manuals, handbooks, and textbooks in just six years, a testament to his commitment to advancing educational resources. Dr Emmanuel has been a key figure in the rollout of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, spearheading initiatives such as:

• Competency based education and assessment: an initiative to revamp the school ecosystem from content-based learning to application-oriented teaching and learning to ensure achievement of desired learning outcome by every learner.
• Key Stage Assessment (SAFAL): A pioneering tool to gauge students’ learning aptitude and achievement levels at various stages of their schooling.
• School Quality Assessment and Accreditation (SQAA): A comprehensive framework designed to evaluate the overall health and effectiveness of schools.
• Holistic Progress Card: An innovative approach to tracking students’ progress throughout their academic journey, providing a more nuanced and complete picture of their development.
• Continuous Professional Development programmes: for teachers capacity building to update skills and competencies to match with the changing scenarios in teaching, learning and assessment.

His dedication to promoting competency-focused education and assessment has revolutionised the Indian school education landscape, impacting the lives of thirty million students, 30,000 schools, and 1.5 million teachers annually in the CBSE school system.
Academically, Dr Joseph Emmanuel holds a postgraduate degree in commerce and a doctorate in financial management. His profound understanding of financial management, coupled with his extensive experience in educational leadership, continues to empower and elevate the standards of education in India and beyond.