Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Deepti Gaur Mukerjee appointed Higher Education Secretary in reshuffle
The government of India is like a big team that runs the country, and sometimes it moves its leaders to new jobs.
Recently, the team picked Deepti Gaur Mukerjee to be the new Higher Education Secretary, which means she will be in charge of colleges and universities.
She has worked for the government since 1993, so she has lots of experience.
Before this job, she looked after the ministry that deals with companies, and she also led the National Health Authority, which helps run a big health insurance programme for the country.
Her new job is important because there has been a controversy about answers to NEET, a big medical entrance exam, being leaked.
She takes over from Vineet Joshi, who moved to a different ministry last month.
When leaders change jobs, other people also move, like a chain.
One officer took over Mukerjee's old role, and another will look after the country's inland waterways, which are rivers used for boats.
The changes were approved by a special cabinet committee.
Senior bureaucrat Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, a 1993-batch IAS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed Secretary of the Department of Higher Education.
The appointment, approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet in a partial modification of its July 23 order, assumes significance amid the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak controversy.
She succeeds Vineet Joshi, who was appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj last month.
Naresh Pal Gangwar was earlier named to the post, but one report says his appointment was later put in abeyance.
The reshuffle also makes Pallavi Jain Govil Corporate Affairs Secretary, Sunil Paliwal Youth Affairs Secretary, and Sushil Kumar Lohani Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India.
- Who
- Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, a 1993-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, formerly Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and a former Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority.
- What
- She was appointed Secretary of the Department of Higher Education in a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle, in a partial modification of the July 23 order.
- When
- Monday, August 10, with the Personnel Ministry order issued late Monday night.
- Where
- New Delhi, India.
- Why
- To succeed Vineet Joshi as Higher Education Secretary; the appointment assumes significance in the wake of the NEET paper leak controversy.
- New Position
- Secretary, Department of Higher Education
- Appointee
- Deepti Gaur Mukerjee (1993-batch IAS officer, Madhya Pradesh cadre)
- Previous Role
- Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs
- Predecessor
- Vineet Joshi (appointed Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj last month)
- Approving Body
- Appointments Committee of the Cabinet
- New Corporate Affairs Secretary
- Pallavi Jain Govil
- Other Moves
- Sunil Paliwal to Youth Affairs; Sushil Kumar Lohani to IWAI Chairman; V L Kantha Rao to Department of Official Language; Archana Varma to Water Resources
- Context
- Follows the NEET paper leak controversy; Naresh Pal Gangwar's earlier appointment to the post was put in abeyance
Sources
Bureaucratic reshuffle: Senior IAS officer Deepti Gaur Mukerjee named new Higher Education Secy
Meet Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, The IAS Officer Appointed As Higher Education Secretary
Senior bureaucrat Deepti Gaur Mukerjee appointed Higher Education Secretary
Who is Deepti Gaur Mukerjee? All to know about the newly appointed Higher Education Secretary replacing Vineet Joshi