- Naresh Pal Gangwar appointed Secretary of the Department of Higher Education amid NEET controversy
- Gangwar replaces Vineet Joshi, who moves to Ministry of Panchayati Raj after July 31
- Gangwar is a 1994-batch Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer with extensive district administration experience
IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar has been appointed Secretary of the Department of Higher Education in a significant bureaucratic reshuffle.
His appointment comes at a time when the Ministry of Education is facing intense scrutiny over the ongoing NEET-UG paper leak controversy. The development also coincides with demands from protesters, including the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), seeking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations and reports of student suicides linked to the issue.
Gangwar, a 1994-batch Rajasthan-cadre IAS officer, will replace 1992-batch IAS officer Vineet Joshi. Joshi has been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and will assume charge following the retirement of incumbent secretary Vivek Bhardwaj on July 31.
Who Is Naresh Pal Gangwar
Naresh Pal Gangwar cleared the UPSC civil services examination in 1993 and belongs to the 1994 IAS batch. Over the years, he has held several important positions in both the Rajasthan government and the central government.
Born on October 21, 1970, in Nainital, Gangwar completed a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering, followed by an M.Tech in Communication and Radar. He also holds a Master's degree in Economics.
During his tenure in Rajasthan, Gangwar served as district collector in several districts.
He was appointed Collector of Tonk in 2001. He later served as Collector of Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar in 2004, Jodhpur in 2006, Bharatpur in 2008, and was subsequently appointed again as Collector of Jodhpur in the same year.
His administrative experience across multiple districts helped establish him as one of the senior officers in the Rajasthan cadre.
Experience In Education Administration
Gangwar has also held several important positions in the Rajasthan government.
In 2014, he was appointed Secretary of the School Education Department in the Rajasthan government. He continued to work in the education sector for a considerable period, gaining experience in managing educational policies and administration.
After spending nearly two and a half decades in the Rajasthan government, Gangwar was appointed to the Centre in 2020.
In December 2020, he was named Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. In January 2022, he was elevated to the post of Additional Secretary in the same ministry.
In August last year, he was appointed Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
