The Government in a sudden change has appointed senior IAS officer Deepti Gaur Mukerjee as Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. Only three weeks ago, Naresh Pal Gangwar, a 1992-batch IAS officer had been appointed to the post.
A 1993-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, Mukerjee moves to the Department of Higher Education from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, where she was serving as Secretary. The government has not publicly stated a reason for putting Gangwar’s appointment in abeyance. Reports have linked the development to controversy surrounding allegations involving subsidies received by members of his family from horticulture-related schemes while he was Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The allegations should, however, be treated as allegations and not as an officially stated reason for the change.
Mukerjee takes charge at a particularly challenging time for the higher education establishment. The appointment comes in the aftermath of the controversy surrounding the NEET-UG examination, allegations of examination irregularities and the resulting nationwide student mobilisation. The government is now under pressure to restore confidence in the country’s national examination system and undertake structural and technological reforms of the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The new Higher Education Secretary will consequently have to work on several fronts simultaneously, including strengthening the examination system, implementing NEP 2020, expanding access to higher education, improving institutional governance, promoting research and innovation, and addressing concerns over quality, affordability and employability.
During her career in the Madhya Pradesh cadre, she held assignments connected with education administration, including responsibilities associated with the state’s School Education Department and education mission. She has also held senior responsibilities in the health sector, including as CEO of the National Health Authority, before moving to the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
