- Education Secretary Vineet Joshi was replaced amid protests over paper leaks
- Naresh Pal Gangwar appointed as the new Education Secretary by government
- Joshi, a 1992-batch Manipur cadre officer, moved to Panchayati Raj ministry
A top bureaucrat has been removed from the Education ministry in a first big move by the government as students across the country demand accountability over paper leaks. Education Secretary Vineet Joshi has been replaced with Naresh Gangwar, an official government notification said late Thursday night.
Joshi, who became the Secretary in the Department of Higher Education in January 2025, has now been appointed as the Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Joshi's removal was part of a major reshuffle that included 13 appointments and four in-situ upgrades.
The reshuffle also saw TK Anil Kumar, additional secretary in the Department of Rural Development, being appointed as the secretary in the Department of School Education and Literacy.
The government's move came amid massive protests by the satirical political outfit Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition parties over exam paper leaks, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Read: PM Promises "More Strict Actions" Against Leaks Today As Protests Continue
A ruling party MP said that the Education Secretary was removed for showing apathy to the paper leak issue.
"Prime Minister Modi has replaced the Education Secretary for showing apathy regarding the paper leak issue. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for the paper leak, as well as those who displayed negligence or apathy. Modi's guarantee," said BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
In a late-night development, a fast-track court has also been formed to hear paper leak cases, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi assuring more strict action on Friday.
Who are Joshi and Gangwar?
A 1992-batch officer of the Manipur cadre, Joshi has previously served as the chief secretary of Manipur. He was also the first director-general of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts competitive exams like NEET and JEE.
Joshi has also served as the chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and additional secretary in the Ministry of Education. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).
Replacing him is Gangwar, a 1994-batch officer of the West Bengal cadre, currently the secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.
Read: Hours After PM's Assurance, Fast-Track Court Notified For Paper Leak Cases
The seasoned bureaucrat has served as the collector in several districts in Rajasthan, including Tonk, Jhalawar, Jodhpur, and Bharatpur. In 2014, he was appointed the secretary in the School Education Department in Rajasthan.
In 2020, he got his first central role, with him being appointed as joint secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. Last August, he moved to the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying as secretary.
He holds an MTech degree in communication and radar, besides an MA in economics.
PM Modi's Assurances
The administrative reshuffles came hours after PM Modi assured a fast-track court for swift disposal of paper leak cases and steps to safeguard students' interests.
In a late-night video statement, he promised that more action would follow on Friday in paper leak cases. A discussion will be held in the cabinet, and the government will try to pass a bill in Parliament in the next week, he added.
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