• Source:JND

Amid the ongoing row over the NEET-UG paper leak, the Central government on Thursday made a major bureaucratic reshuffle by transferring the Secretary, Higher Education. Rajasthan cadre IAS Naresh Pal Gangwar will be the new Secretary, Higher Education, replacing Dr Vineet Joshi.

Joshi has been transferred to the Panchayati Raj Department. Joshi, a 1992-batch IAS officer, became the Secretary in the Department of Higher Education in January 2025. 

He had also served as the first DG of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts competitive exams like NEET and JEE.

Apart from Higher Education, the School Education Secretary has also been replaced by the Centre.  TK Anil Kumar will take charge as Secretary, School Education. 

Anil Kumar is a 1995-batch IAS officer, who was serving as Additional Secretary in the Department of Rural Development under the Ministry of Rural Development, before his latest appointment.

ALSO READ: CJP Delegation To Hold High-Level Talks With Union Ministers Today Amid NEET Paper Leak Protests

Who is Naresh Pal Gangwar, new Higher Education Secretary?

Gangwar was currently serving as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

According to the information, Naresh Pal Gangwar is a senior Indian Administrative Service officer who has served as the Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, where he headed key divisions like pollution control (air & water), and hazardous substances management.

Before that, Gangwar was the Principal Secretary, Government of Rajasthan. During his role, he played a key role in initiating policies for the development of solar energy in the initial phase of the National Solar Mission between 2010-2014.

ALSO READ: NEET Paper Leak: What Are Fast-Track Courts And What PM Modi's Announcement Means For Probe

Along with these appointments, the Centre has made several other shuffles in the central bureaucracy. 

Notably, protests have rocked the entire nation for the past few days. From social media to the streets and parliament, the issue of the NEET paper leak has led to massive unrest. The demands for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan have also been rasied by protestors and Opposition leaders alike.


Also In News