GUWAHATI: The Centre has appointed senior IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as the new Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, replacing Vineet Joshi, who has been transferred to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
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The appointment comes at a crucial time, with students continuing to protest over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and demanding greater transparency, accountability and reforms in the country’s examination system.
Gangwar, a 1994-batch Rajasthan cadre IAS officer, is currently serving as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Born on October 21, 1970, in Nainital, Gangwar holds a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering, an M.Tech in Communication and Radar, and a Master's degree in Economics.
Gangwar brings with him extensive administrative experience, particularly from his years in Rajasthan. He served as the district collector of several key districts, including Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur and Bharatpur.
He was first appointed Collector of Tonk in 2001 and later held key administrative positions across Rajasthan. He served as Collector of Sawai Madhopur and Jhalawar in 2004, Jodhpur in 2006 and Bharatpur in 2008. He was also appointed Collector of Jodhpur again later that year.
With years of experience in public administration and education-related governance, Gangwar now takes charge of one of the country’s most closely watched education portfolios.
His appointment comes at a time when the Ministry of Education is under heightened scrutiny following the NEET-UG paper leak controversy. The leadership change also coincides with ongoing protests led by groups, including the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which have called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and reported student suicides linked to the controversy.