New Delhi: In the midst of the continuing nationwide agitation over the alleged NEET paper leak and growing scrutiny of India's examination ecosystem, the Government of India on Thursday carried out a significant bureaucratic reshuffle, transferring Higher Education Secretary Vineet Joshi to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and appointing Naresh Pal Gangwar as the new Secretary, Department of Higher Education.

Gangwar, a 1994-batch Rajasthan cadre IAS officer, was serving as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying before being entrusted with the Higher Education portfolio. 

Vineet Joshi, a 1992-batch Manipur cadre IAS officer, will take over as Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj following the superannuation of incumbent Vivek Bhardwaj on July 31.

The change assumes significance as the Ministry of Education continues to face intense public and political attention over the integrity of competitive examinations, particularly NEET, and broader reforms in the examination and higher education ecosystem.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) also approved several other secretary-level appointments. Katikithala Srinivas, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, while T.K. Anil Kumar has been elevated as Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy.

Among other key appointments, Keshav Chandra has been named Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Chandra Bhushan Kumar will head the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Satendra Singh has been appointed Secretary, Department of Urban Development, and Suchindra Misra has been posted as Secretary, National Commission for Minorities. 

Piyush Goyal, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, will take over as Secretary General of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

The ACC also approved the in-situ upgradation of four senior officers, including Registrar General and Census Commissioner Mritunjay Kumar Narayan and NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav, to the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India .