Who Is Naresh Pal Gangwar? Know the Educational Qualifications of India's New Higher Education Secretary Amid CJP Protest

The Centre has appointed senior IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as the new Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, replacing Vineet Joshi, who has been transferred to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj as Secretary.

A 1994-batch IAS officer, Gangwar brings decades of administrative experience across the Centre and the Rajasthan government. Along with his governance experience, his strong academic background and extensive work in the education sector have drawn attention.

Naresh Pal Gangwar's educational qualifications

Gangwar has studied engineering and economics at some of India's leading institutions.

His academic qualifications include:

Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in Electronics and Communication Engineering from IIT Roorkee.
Master of Technology (MTech) in Communication from IIT Delhi.
Master of Arts (MA) in Economics from the University of Rajasthan.
Experience in education administration

Before taking charge as Higher Education Secretary, Gangwar held several key positions in Rajasthan's education department.

Between 2014 and 2018, he served as Secretary and later Principal Secretary of the state's School Education Department. During this period, he also worked as Commissioner of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). Earlier, between 2013 and 2014, he served as Commissioner of the Rajasthan Council of Primary Education.

In these roles, he oversaw several departments and institutions, including:

Secondary Education
Elementary Education
School Education Department
Language and Library Department (Bhasha Vibhag)
Rajasthan Council of Primary Education
Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA)

His experience in education administration is expected to help shape policy in his new role at the Union Ministry of Education.

Administrative career

Prior to his latest appointment, Gangwar served as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Earlier, he was Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, where he handled pollution control, hazardous substances management and environmental regulation. He has also served as Principal Secretary in the Rajasthan government.

New role as Higher Education Secretary

As Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Gangwar will oversee policies related to universities, higher educational institutions, technical education and the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP).

He assumes office at a time when the higher education sector is under increased scrutiny following concerns over examination reforms, governance and policy implementation.

Gangwar succeeds Vineet Joshi, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the Manipur cadre, who has been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Joshi previously served as Chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA).