Hours after his appointment as the new Education Secretary, IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar came under attack from the Congress, which alleged irregularities linked to horticulture subsidies received by his family members during his tenure as Agriculture Secretary.
Congress raises allegations against Naresh Gangwar
In a post on X, Congress leader Pawan Khera accused the government of appointing an official who should be under scrutiny.
Khera said, “Narendra Modi has run out of clean faces to hide behind. To protect Vineet Joshi, the government has replaced the Education Secretary with someone who should himself be under scrutiny. New Education Secretary Naresh Pal Gangwar’s wife, mother and son collectively received over ₹1.16 crore in NHB horticulture subsidies while he served as Agriculture Secretary. That’s how deep-rooted corruption is in this government.”
Appointment comes amid examination reform push
The allegations came as the Ministry of Education prepares to address growing demands for stronger safeguards against paper leaks, better examination security and institutional reforms aimed at restoring public confidence in competitive examinations.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed Naresh Pal Gangwar, a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education in the Ministry of Education.
The appointment comes at a time when the Centre is facing pressure over the credibility of the National Testing Agency (NTA) following controversies related to NEET and other national-level examinations. Student groups and opposition parties have been demanding greater transparency and reforms in the examination system.
Key responsibilities as Higher Education Secretary
As the new Higher Education Secretary, Gangwar is expected to play an important role in strengthening the country’s examination system.
Officials said his immediate priorities are likely to include improving transparency in entrance and recruitment examinations, rebuilding the confidence of students affected by recent controversies and reviewing the functioning of the National Testing Agency.
The Centre’s decision is being seen as an effort to improve accountability and speed up examination reforms.
Naresh Gangwar’s administrative experience
Naresh Pal Gangwar is a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre with nearly three decades of administrative experience.
Before this appointment, he served as Secretary in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
Before joining the Centre, Gangwar held several important positions in Rajasthan, including District Collector in multiple districts and Principal Secretary in the state government.
Role in policy making and education reforms
Gangwar is known for his contribution to Rajasthan’s Solar Policy between 2010 and 2014 during the early phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.
During his tenure in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, he also worked on policies related to pollution control and hazardous waste management.
Educational qualifications of Naresh Gangwar
Gangwar has a strong academic background. He holds a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the then University of Roorkee, now IIT Roorkee. He also earned an M.Tech in Communication and Radar Engineering from IIT Delhi and an M.A. in Economics from the University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply