2 new secretaries in education ministry, Vineet Joshi moved to panchayati raj

NEW DELHI: Amid ongoing protests over NEET-UG paper leak issue, govt Thursday named new secretaries for higher and school education departments, with incumbent Vineet Joshi, who had charge of both, moved to low-profile panchayati raj department. While animal husbandry secretary Naresh Pal Gangwar was appointed the new secretary for higher education, TK Anil Kumar will be the new school education secretary. The changes mark an overhaul of sorts in education ministry bureaucracy, as Abhishek Singh was earlier named head of the National Testing Agency, which conducts NEET, CUET and other exams. In early June, CBSE chief Rahul Singh and secretary Himanshu Gupta were transferred out of the National Testing Agency after a controversy over on-screen marking. The secretary-level appointments included 13 new department heads, including a bifurcation of ministry of housing and urban affairs. MoHUA secretary K Srinivas has been shifted to development of north eastern region (DoNER) ministry. D Thara, from Gujarat cadre, has been appointed secretary of the just-created department of capital development, while her batchmate Satendra Singh from Jharkhand will lead the department of urban development. The changes in education ministry are significant as govt has said demand for removal of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan is not under consideration, but steps will be taken to address concerns. The appointments committee of cabinet also desginated Chandra Bhushan Kumar as new labour secretary, while Keshav Chandra will be the new mines secretary. Odisha cadre IAS officer SK Lohani has been designated as animal husbandry secretary.