Naresh Pal Gangwar Replaces Vineet Joshi as Higher Education Secretary in Major Bureaucratic Reshuffle
The Union Government has appointed senior IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as the new Secretary, Department of Higher Education, replacing Vineet Joshi in a significant secretary-level bureaucratic reshuffle approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). The move comes amid intense national attention on the education sector following protests over alleged examination paper leaks and demands for greater accountability.
Gangwar, a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, previously served as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. He now assumes charge of the Higher Education Department at a time when the ministry is under scrutiny over the integrity of competitive examinations and the functioning of India’s examination ecosystem.
Outgoing Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi has been transferred to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj as Secretary. Joshi, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Manipur cadre, had headed the Higher Education Department since December 2024 and also held the additional charge of Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC). Earlier in his career, he served as Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA) and Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
The administrative reshuffle is part of a broader overhaul involving multiple secretary-level appointments across key ministries. Alongside Gangwar’s appointment, the Centre also made changes in several departments, signalling an effort to strengthen governance and administrative efficiency across the Union Government.
Gangwar’s appointment has drawn particular attention because it comes during widespread student protests over alleged paper leaks in competitive examinations. While the government has not officially linked the transfer to the controversy, opposition parties and protest groups have described the move as an acknowledgment of the seriousness of the crisis, even as they continue to press for wider reforms and political accountability.
The new Higher Education Secretary is expected to play a key role in implementing the Centre’s proposed reforms to restore confidence in India’s examination system. These include strengthening examination security, improving institutional oversight, and coordinating with agencies responsible for conducting national entrance tests, while also advancing broader higher education policy initiatives.
