A top bureaucrat has been removed from the Indian Education ministry in a first big move by the government as students across the country demand accountability over paper leaks.
Education Secretary Vineet Joshi has been replaced with Naresh Gangwar, an official government notification said late Thursday night.
The reshuffle also saw TK Anil Kumar, currently Additional Secretary in the Department of Rural Development, appointed as Secretary in the Department of School Education and Literacy, reports NDTV/UNB.
Joshi assumed charge as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education in January 2025. His transfer is part of a broader bureaucratic reshuffle that includes 13 appointments and four in-situ upgrades.
The reshuffle comes amid continuing protests over alleged examination paper leaks, with the satirical political outfit Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and opposition parties pressing the government to ensure greater accountability.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey linked Joshi’s transfer to the government’s response to the controversy, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi had acted against officials accused of negligence.
“Prime Minister Modi has replaced the Education Secretary for showing apathy regarding the paper leak issue. Strict action will be taken against those responsible for the paper leak, as well as those who displayed negligence or apathy,” Dubey said.
A 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Manipur cadre, Joshi previously served as the state’s Chief Secretary. He was also the founding Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts major entrance examinations such as NEET and JEE.
His earlier assignments include serving as Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Education. Joshi holds a degree in mechanical engineering from IIT Kanpur and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).
Joshi has been succeeded by Gangwar, a 1994-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, who previously served as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
