Vineet Joshi, Removed As Education Secretary, Was Chief Of CBSE, Testing Body NTA

As massive protests over NEET paper leaks raged across India, the Centre replaced a top bureaucrat in the Education Ministry. Secretary of the Department of Higher Education Vineet Joshi has been removed from his post, with Naresh Pal Gangwar appointed in his place, an official government notification said late Thursday night.

Joshi, a 1992-batch officer of the Manipur cadre, has now been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Gangwar, a 1994-batch officer of the West Bengal cadre, previously served as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Who Is Vineet Joshi?

Joshi holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi.

He assumed the charge as Secretary in the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education in January 2025, and was later given additional charge as Chairman of the University Grants Commission on 11 April 2025.

Joshi previously served as Chief Secretary of Manipur and as the first Director-General of the National Testing Agency (NTA), the body responsible for conducting entrance examinations in India, including NEET and JEE. He also served two separate terms as Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), first from February 2010 to November 2014, and again from February 2022 to August 2022.

Joshi's replacement is part of a larger reshuffle. TK Anil Kumar has been newly appointed as Secretary for the Department of School Education and Literacy.

Delhi High Court Sets Up Fast-Track Court For Paper Leak Cases

This is not the only major development to emerge from the NEET leak protests. The Delhi High Court has formed a fast-track court to hear exam paper leak cases, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance on X, amid protests in Delhi led by the satirical political group Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). As per government sources, the CJP delegation is likely to meet Union ministers today at 12:30 pm.

The fast-track court will try offences under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024, and related cases. All pending cases filed under this law will be transferred to the newly created court immediately. The anti-cheating law provides for imprisonment of up to five years and a fine of Rs 10 lakh for those found guilty.

"More strict actions against paper leaks to come in tomorrow's cabinet," PM Modi said in a video statement on Thursday night.

Protests Show No Sign Of Winding Down

Hundreds continued to pour into Jantar Mantar on Thursday, with no signs of the protest easing. Most of the demonstrators are young people, raising concerns ranging from the NEET case to broader issues such as unemployment and alleged irregularities in the CBSE's on-screen marking process, along with calls for reform in how public examinations are conducted.

The protest began on 6 June, with Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk joining through an indefinite hunger strike on 28 June. It gained further momentum over the weekend after Wangchuk was forcibly taken to hospital by police.

On Monday, Delhi Police fired tear gas and baton-charged protesters. Witnesses said dozens on both sides, protesters and police alike, were left injured. Footage showing officers striking and dragging away protesters spread widely on social media, deepening public anger over the handling of the protests.