Centre reshuffles top bureaucracy, appoints Naresh Pal Gangwar Higher Education Secretary

The Centre has appointed Naresh Pal Gangwar as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education as part of a major Secretary-level bureaucratic reshuffle, bringing new leadership to the Ministry of Education.

According to multiple media reports, Gangwar, a 1994-batch Rajasthan cadre IAS officer, succeeds Vineet Joshi, who has been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Joshi will take over following the retirement of incumbent secretary Vivek Bhardwaj on 31 July 2026.

The appointments were approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and notified by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on 23 July 2026.

The leadership change comes at a time when the Ministry of Education is under public scrutiny following the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and subsequent nationwide protests, as per media reports.

However, the ACC order does not link the appointments to the controversy, with the transfers forming part of a broader reshuffle across multiple ministries.

Experienced administrator takes charge

Before his latest appointment, Gangwar served as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

A 1994-batch IAS officer, Gangwar cleared the Civil Services Examination in 1993 and has served in several senior roles across the Rajasthan government and the Centre.

An engineer by training, he holds a BTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the University of Roorkee, an MTech in Communication from IIT Delhi, and a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Rajasthan.

During his tenure in Rajasthan, he served as District Collector in Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur and Bharatpur, before taking on senior administrative responsibilities in the state government.

Extensive experience in education and public administration

Gangwar has considerable experience in the education sector. In 2014, he was appointed Secretary of the School Education Department in the Rajasthan government, where he oversaw education policy and administration.

After moving to the Centre in 2020, he served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change before being elevated as Additional Secretary in 2022. He was appointed Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in August 2025.

The reshuffle also brings fresh leadership to the Ministry of Education's second key department. 

• T.K. Anil Kumar (1995-batch Karnataka cadre IAS) appointed Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy.

• Katikithala Srinivas appointed Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

• Keshav Chandra appointed Secretary, Ministry of Mines.

• Chandra Bhushan Kumar appointed Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment.

• D. Thara appointed Secretary, Department of Capital Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

• B. Rajender appointed Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in the rank of Secretary.

• Piyush Goyal (IAS officer, not the Union Minister) appointed Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

• Satendra Singh appointed Secretary, Department of Urban Development.

• Suchindra Misra appointed Secretary, National Commission for Minorities.

The ACC also approved the in-situ upgradation of four senior officers to the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India, while they continue in their existing assignments.

With the appointments, both departments under the Ministry of Education will now be headed by new administrative leaders as the government continues a wider reorganisation of senior bureaucratic positions across ministries.