Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jul 24: The Centre on Thursday appointed senior IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as the new Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, replacing Vineet Joshi, amid the ongoing nationwide protests over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.
The appointment was announced through a late-night government notification.
Gangwar, a 1994-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Rajasthan cadre, was serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. He has previously held several key positions, including Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Principal Secretary in the Rajasthan government.
Holding a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Rajasthan, Gangwar brings extensive administrative experience to the Higher Education Department.
Vineet Joshi, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Manipur cadre, has been transferred as Secretary of the Department of Panchayati Raj.
Welcoming the move, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey termed it a "Modi guarantee" and said the Centre was committed to taking strict action against those responsible for examination paper leaks.
In a post on X, Dubey said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had replaced the Higher Education Secretary over alleged negligence in handling the paper leak issue and asserted that all those responsible, including officials found guilty of lapses, would face stringent action.
The reshuffle comes amid sustained protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG 2026 examination.
The CJP launched its protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on June 20, with the alleged paper leak issue at the centre of its agitation. Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest on June 28 and began an indefinite hunger strike, adding momentum to the movement.
On July 20, the party organised a 'Sansad Chalo' march towards Parliament, which ended in clashes between protesters and Delhi Police after demonstrators allegedly attempted to breach security barricades.
Although the Centre has since invited CJP representatives for talks, the party has maintained that Union ministers should visit the protest site or another nearby location for discussions, citing concerns over the ongoing agitation.