Senior bureaucrat Deepti Gaur Mukerjee appointed Higher Education Secretary

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Aug 11, 2026: Senior bureaucrat Deepti Gaur Mukerjee has been appointed as the new Secretary of Higher Education as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle carried out by the Centre on Monday.

A 1993-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, Mukerjee is currently serving as Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. She will succeed Vineet Joshi, who was appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj last month.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved Mukerjee’s appointment as Secretary, Department of Higher Education, according to an order issued by the Personnel Ministry late Monday night.

Her appointment comes at a significant time, amid ongoing concerns and controversies surrounding the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), including the paper leak issue.

Youth Affairs Secretary Pallavi Jain Govil has been appointed as the new Corporate Affairs Secretary.

Meanwhile, Sushil Kumar Lohani, Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat, has been appointed Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India.