NARESH PAL GANGWAR, the senior Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer, who was appointed as the Higher Education Secretary on July 23, 2026, replacing Vineet Joshi, has been replaced by Deepti Gaur Mukherjee as the new Higher Education Secretary, according to a government order on Monday, August 10, 2026. The Department of Personnel and Training in its order stated that, in partial modification of the earlier order issued on July 23, 2026, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved Deepti Gaur Mukherjee—the current Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs—as the new Secretary of Higher Education.

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The earlier decision to replace Vineet Joshi came at a time when the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protested regarding exam accountability and lapses in the education system. However, this swap of portfolios within just a month has brought about speculations on the possible cause of the decision.

Who is Deepti Gaur Mukherjee?

Deepti Gaur Mukherjee is a 1993-batch IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, and was serving as the Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs prior to this appointment. She was born in Uttar Pradesh on February 3, 1969, and pursued her higher education at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)—in the field of economics from JNU, and public management and governance from LSE.

Throughout her administrative career, she has held several important positions. Before joining the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in August 2024, she was working as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority (NHA).

There is a valid rationale behind her appointment as the new Higher Education Secretary, and that traces back to her engagement with the education sector. During her tenure in Madhya Pradesh, she held senior positions in the Department of School Education and the State Education Mission. Additionally, according to a report by NDTV, a 2017 Ministry of Education document notes her involvement in the discussions on the implementation of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (education for all) in Madhya Pradesh. 

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Portfolios Swapped Twice Within a Month  

Amid the growing student unrest regarding NEET paper leaks, dismal education system, and the demand for government accountability, the central government appointed Naresh Pal Gangwar as the Higher Education Secretary, replacing Vineet Joshi on July 23, 2026. However, Vineet Joshi remained in office until the appointment of Deepti Gaur Mukherjee, despite Naresh Gangwar’s appointment.

Amidst these steps taken by the government to reshuffle the administrative setup, social media posts on Naresh Gangwar’s alleged connection to a financial irregularity came to the fore. The social media posts, citing an Indian Express article, reiterated the news of Gangwar’s son and wife allegedly receiving a sum of over Rs 1.16 crore in government subsidies under the National Horticulture Board Scheme. 

Finally, a government order appointed Deepti Mukherjee as the new Higher Education Secretary, replacing Naresh Gangwar. This was also aligned with the formation of a new high-level taskforce under the leadership of Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to suggest reforms and bring about a strengthened examination system in India. The government also passed a bill amending the existing Prevention of Unfair Means Act, 2024, thereby making the act stricter, while introducing fast-track courts to deal with the exam-related offences. 

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