Higher education secretary Vineet Joshi transferred amidst CJP protest; Naresh Pal Gangwar to take over

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has made some major changes in the cabinet. Amid the ongoing protest and uncertainty in the education system in India, the government has made a major change that includes the changes in the secretary of the ministry of education.

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Vineet Joshi position as secretary department of higher education, ministry of education is been taken over by Naresh Pal Gangwar, who earlier held the position of secretary, department of animal husbandry & dairying, ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry & dairying.

Another major change is that T. K. Anil Kumar, who is currently holding the position of additional secretary, department of rural development, ministry of rural development has taken over the position of secretary, department of school education & literacy, ministry of education.

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The appointments are part of a larger administrative reorganisation of various ministries such as education, panchayati raj, animal husbandry, jal shakti, housing and urban affairs, mines and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

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As per the ACC, Vineet Joshi, has been appointed as the secretary in the department of panchayati raj of MHRD till July 31, 2026, in place of Vivek Bharadwaj who is scheduled to retire on July 31, 2026.

Sushil Kumar Lohani will hold a position of officer on special duty, department of animal husbandry & dairying, ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry & dairying, in the rank and pay of secretary to the Government of India; to take over as secretary upon appointment of Naresh Pal Gangwar to higher education.

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Katikithala Srinivas is also being appointed as secretary, ministry of development of North Eastern region in another appointment made by the government.

The secretary in the ministry of mines, Piyush Goyal, will be appointed as secretary general of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the same pay and rank as secretary to the Government of India.

Further, Archana Varma, mission director of the national water mission, ministry of jal shakti has been appointed as the mission director, national water mission with the post elevated to the rank of secretary to Government of India (temporary). She will also assume the mantle of the secretary of the department of official language of the ministry of home affairs, on the retirement of Ansuli Arya, on September 30, 2026.