Key Takeaways
- Deepti Gaur Mukherjee replaces Naresh Pal Gangwar as higher education secretary.
- Gangwar leaves the post just 17 days after his appointment.
- His appointment faced scrutiny over family members’ reported horticulture subsidies.
The Centre has appointed Deepti Gaur Mukherjee as higher education secretary, replacing Naresh Pal Gangwar 17 days after his appointment amid scrutiny over his family’s farm subsidies.
Mukherjee Takes Over Higher Education Department
The Centre partially modified its July 23 order late Monday, appointing Mukherjee, a 1993-batch Madhya Pradesh cadre Indian Administrative Service officer, as secretary of the Department of Higher Education.
Deepti Gaur Mukherjee previously served as secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. She has also headed the National Health Authority and has held senior positions in the central government.
Gangwar, a 1994-batch Rajasthan cadre officer, was appointed higher education secretary on July 23 after serving as secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
The latest Appointments Committee of the Cabinet order does not specify Gangwar’s new posting, according to the report provided.
The Department of Higher Education oversees the National Testing Agency, which conducts major entrance examinations, including the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for undergraduate medical admissions.
Gangwar Faced Scrutiny Over Family Subsidies
Gangwar’s appointment drew public scrutiny after a June investigation by The Indian Express reported that his mother, wife and son collectively received more than 1.16 crore rupees in horticulture subsidies over five years.
The subsidies were linked to commercial horticulture projects in Rajasthan, including cucumber cultivation, under a scheme administered by the National Horticulture Board. Records cited by the newspaper showed payments of 46.03 lakh rupees to Gangwar’s mother, 46.49 lakh rupees to his son and 24.36 lakh rupees to his wife.
Gangwar told The Indian Express that his mother and son were not dependent on him and therefore did not have to be included in his annual property return under the applicable service rules.
He said, “As they are not dependent on me, as per AIS (Conduct) Rules, 1968, the information pertaining to them is not required to be filled in the Annual Property Return.”
The newspaper’s reporting also noted that Gangwar’s 2024-25 property declaration listed agricultural land held in the names of family members and disclosed a commercial horticulture project sanctioned by the National Horticulture Board.
Government Calls Reshuffle Routine
Senior government officials cited in the supplied report described the change as part of a routine administrative exercise involving several secretary-level appointments.
The move comes as the government faces continuing scrutiny over examination administration and the functioning of agencies responsible for national entrance tests.
The controversy over Gangwar’s appointment also drew political criticism. Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader John Brittas criticized the decision on X, linking the appointment to the subsidy reports.
“The ultimate farce!” Brittas wrote, questioning the appointment while public attention remained focused on accountability over examination-related controversies.
The government has not publicly linked Gangwar’s replacement to the subsidy reports. The appointment order also does not state a reason for his transfer.
The National Horticulture Board subsidy reporting has separately prompted questions about conflict-of-interest safeguards. In a later parliamentary response reported by The Indian Express, the government said existing National Horticulture Board guidelines did not contain a specific provision requiring recusal when public functionaries or their family members applied for subsidies.
Deepti Gaur Mukherjee now takes charge of the higher education department as the government continues efforts to strengthen examination administration and restore confidence in the country’s testing system.
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