Vineet Joshi was replaced by Naresh Pal Gangwar as the higher education secretary, in a big move by the government amid mounting criticism of the education ministry and allegations of exam irregularities, including the NEET-UG paper leak.
Event Context
Joshi, who held one of the most crucial positions in the education ministry, was shifted late on Thursday night as student protests over the NEET-UG paper leak intensified across the country. He has now been appointed secretary in the Panchayati Raj ministry, news agency PTI reported.
During his tenure as NTA director-general, the agency introduced the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for undergraduate admissions. However, the agency also faced criticism over technical issues and disruptions during major examinations, adding to the challenges surrounding the conduct of entrance tests.
Before returning to the education ministry, Joshi served as the chief secretary of Manipur in 2023, a period marked by ethnic violence in the northeastern state.
Following Joshi’s transfer, Naresh Kumar Gangwar has been appointed as the new higher education secretary, while T K Anil Kumar has taken charge as the school education secretary.
Before his posting in the animal husbandry ministry, Gangwar served as additional secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, where he handled issues related to pollution control and hazardous substances.
Singh was placed on compulsory wait for nearly four months before being appointed additional secretary in the steel ministry. He was later repatriated to his Chhattisgarh cadre.
(With inputs from PTI)
Player Focus
T K Anil Kumar was earlier working as additional secretary in the rural development ministry.
Team Analysis
A 1992-batch IAS officer, Vineet Joshi has been considered one of the key bureaucrats in India’s education administration. During his career, he has handled several important roles, including chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the first director-general of the National Testing Agency (NTA), and acting chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
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Joshi was also given additional responsibility as school education secretary after Sanjay Kumar retired from the post on June 30.
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The latest reshuffle comes after the education ministry faced criticism over multiple issues in recent months. The ministry first came under scrutiny following problems in CBSE’s introduction of on-screen marking (OSM) for Class 12 board examinations, and later over allegations linked to the NEET-UG paper leak.
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Last month, the government removed CBSE Chairman Rahul Singh and Secretary Himanshu Gupta following a backlash over technical glitches, blurred answer sheets and evaluation errors in the digital marking system. They were replaced by Lokhande Prashant Sitaram and Varun Bhardwaj.
The ministry also transferred Aanchal Katiyar, who was heading media and communication, to the animal husbandry ministry. Rashmi Roja Thushara Nair was appointed in her place.
The NEET-UG controversy has grown into a nationwide student movement, with protesters raising concerns over paper leaks, alleged police action against demonstrators and demands for accountability.
Opposition parties have backed the protests and have been demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation along with a discussion on the issue in Parliament.
This is not the first time the education ministry has faced such a crisis. In 2024, after allegations of a NEET paper leak and the confirmed leak of the UGC-NET question paper, then NTA director-general Subodh Kumar Singh was removed from the post.
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Gangwar was earlier serving as secretary in the animal husbandry ministry. He is a 1994-batch Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer. According to media reports, three members of his family received subsidies of more than ₹1.16 crore over five years under the National Horticulture Board scheme.
