In a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle, the central government appointed senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Deepti Gaur Mukerjee as the new Secretary of the Department of Higher Education. This is under the Ministry of Education.

The decision comes in partial modification of an earlier notification issued on July 23, which had initially named Naresh Pal Gangwar for the post. Moreover, the official order was issued late Monday night by the Department of Personnel and Training. This followed approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

Deepti Gaur Mukerjee Takes Charge Amid Ministry Reshuffle

Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, a 1993-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, was serving as the Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs prior to her new assignment. In her new role, she succeeds Vineet Joshi. He was previously reassigned as the Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Following Mukerjee’s transition to the Education Ministry, the government appointed Youth Affairs Secretary Pallavi Jain Govil. She will take over as the Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Technical Status of Naresh Pal Gangwar’s Posting

Naresh Pal Gangwar, a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, had been named to replace Vineet Joshi on July 23. However, as Joshi continued to hold office pending formal operational relief, Gangwar remained in his position as Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

With the ACC issuing a partial modification order, Mukerjee now directly assumes the charge as Higher Education Secretary.

Key Bureaucratic Movements Across Union Ministries

The administrative reshuffle also included several other senior-level appointments across Union departments:

  • Ministry of Youth Affairs: Sunil Paliwal, incumbent Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), replaces Pallavi Jain Govil as Secretary in the Department of Youth Affairs.
  • Inland Waterways Authority of India: Sushil Kumar Lohani, Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat, succeeds Sunil Paliwal as Chairman of the IWAI.
  • Ministry of Water Resources: Senior bureaucrat Archana Varma succeeds V. L. Kantha Rao as Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation.
  • Department of Official Language: V. L. Kantha Rao has been designated as Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Official Language under the Ministry of Home Affairs. He will take over as Secretary following the superannuation of Ansuli Arya on September 30.

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