The Centre on Thursday carried out a major bureaucratic reshuffle, appointing new secretaries across several ministries, including the Ministry of Education, in a move that comes amid ongoing student protests.
According to an order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), Vinneet Joshi, a 1992-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Manipur cadre and Secretary, Department of Higher Education, has been appointed Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. He will replace Vivek Bharadwaj following the latter's retirement on 31 July.
Naresh Pal Gangwar, a 1994-batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre and currently Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, has been appointed Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education. He succeeds Joshi following the latter's transfer.
In another key appointment, TK Anil Kumar, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development, has been appointed Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.
The ACC also approved several other senior-level appointments. Katikithala Srinivas, Secretary in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has been appointed Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region.
Piyush Goyal, Secretary in the Ministry of Mines, has been appointed Secretary General of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the rank and pay of Secretary to the Government of India.
Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, has been appointed Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. He will assume charge as Secretary of the department after Gangwar moves to the Ministry of Education.
The ACC also upgraded the post of Mission Director, National Water Mission, to the rank of Secretary and appointed Archana Varma to the position.
The reshuffle follows protests by students in several parts of the country, although the government order does not link the appointments to the ongoing demonstrations. |
