The controversial IAS officer, Naresh Pal Gangwar (IAS:1994:RJ), has finally been removed from the post of Higher Education Secretary even before taking charge of the department. The Centre has issued an order appointing another senior IAS officer, Deepti Gaur Mukerjee (IAS:1993:MP), as the new Secretary of Higher Education replacing Gangwar.
In its latest order issued on Monday, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) says that it has ‘partially’ modified its earlier order replacing Gangwar with Deepti Gaur Mukerjee (IAS:1993:MP) as Secretary, Department of Higher Education. Mukerjee was posted as Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
In a major secretary-level reshuffle on July 23, the Centre had appointed Gangwar as Higher Education Secretary, removing Vineet Joshi (IAS:1992:MN) from the post. Interestingly, Gangwar was yet to take up his new assignment as Joshi continued to hold the office to date. Thus, it is now Mukerjee who succeeds Joshi as Secretary of the Higher Education department.
The Higher Education Department under the HRD Ministry has been in the eye of a storm following the massive students’ protest over the NEET paper leak issue, leading to the Parliament gherao on July 20. The Centre decided to take swift action and removed Vineet Joshi from the post of Secretary in the Higher Education Department and appointed Gangwar in his place on July 23.
But the Centre’s action boomeranged, as Gangwar’s appointment only exacerbated the situation. It fueled public anger after it was discovered that his family was allegedly involved in an Rs 1.16 crore subsidy scam under a central scheme and there was a demand for his removal.
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