The Centre has appointed Corporate Affairs Secretary Deepti Gaur Mukerjee as Higher Education Secretary in a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle, while making several other changes across key ministries and departments.
Corporate Affairs Secretary Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, a 1993-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the new Higher Education Secretary as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle enacted by the Centre on Monday night. In a July 23 order, the government had initially named Animal Husbandry and Dairying Secretary Naresh Pal Gangwar for the post. That decision sparked public outrage on social media after Gangwar’s name surfaced in an alleged cucumber subsidy scam within the Agriculture Ministry.Following reported subsidy disbursements to high-profile individuals—including Minister of State for Agriculture Bhagirath Choudhary and Gangwar’s family members—the Agriculture Ministry divested the Joint Secretary in charge of horticulture of his responsibilities, reassigning him to the Official Language division.Meanwhile, Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi, who was scheduled to assume charge as Panchayati Raj Secretary on August 1, was not relieved of his duties, fueling speculation of an impending correction to the appointment order. The latest order reiterated the previous decision, and Joshi is now set to join the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Currently, the Rural Development Secretary is officiating as the Panchayati Raj Secretary.Gangwar to remain in Animal Husbandry and Dairying MinistryThe fresh order makes no mention of Gangwar, signalling that he will remain Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.Sushil Kumar Lohani, who was previously slated to replace Gangwar, has now been appointed Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI). Under the July 23 order, Lohani was expected to join as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying; instead, he temporarily assumed charge as OSD in the Cabinet Secretariat.Sunil Paliwal, the outgoing Chairman of IWAI, has been named the new Youth Affairs Secretary, replacing Pallavi Jain Govil. Govil, in turn, will take over as Corporate Affairs Secretary, filling the vacancy left by Deepti Gaur Mukerjee.Reshuffle follows scrutiny over earlier appointmentsAlthough framed as routine appointments following the retirement of several secretaries in July, the previous month’s order drew intense scrutiny. This unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing student protests demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who stepped down following backlash over allegations of a paper leak in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).Changes in Water Resources and Official Language departmentsV. L. Kantha Rao, Secretary for Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation, has been appointed Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Department of Official Language under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Rao will assume charge as Secretary of the department upon the superannuation of incumbent Ansuli Arya at the end of September.Archana Varma, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre currently serving as Mission Director of the National Water Mission, will succeed Rao as Secretary of the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation. Under the July 23 order, Varma was originally slated to succeed Arya as Secretary of the Department of Official Language on October 1.Published on August 11, 2026
