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New Delhi, Aug 10 (PTI): Senior bureaucrat Deepti Gaur Mukerjee has been appointed as the new Higher Education Secretary, as part of a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle effected by the Centre on Monday.

She succeeds Vineet Joshi, who was appointed last month as the Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Incidentally, Naresh Pal Gangwar, Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, was also named as the Higher Education Secretary, in place of Joshi.

In a partial modification of its July 23 order, the Personnel Ministry announced late on Monday night that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Mukerjee's appointment as the new Higher Education Secretary.

Her appointment comes in the wake of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) paper leak controversy.

Mukerjee, a 1993 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, is currently serving as the Corporate Affairs Secretary.

Youth Affairs Secretary Pallavi Jain Govil will now be the Corporate Affairs Secretary in place of Mukerjee, the Monday order said.

Sunil Paliwal, Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), has been named the new Youth Affairs Secretary in place of Govil.

Sushil Kumar Lohani, Officer on Special Duty, Cabinet Secretariat, will succeed Paliwal as the new Chairman, IWAI.

V L Kantha Rao, Secretary, Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, has been appointed as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Department of Official Language in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The officer will take over as Secretary, Department of Official Language after the superannuation of incumbent Ansuli Arya at the end of next month.

Senior bureaucrat Archana Varma will be the new Secretary, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation in place of Rao.

Varma, a 1995 batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is currently serving as Mission Director, National Water Mission. PTI AKV AKV MPL MPL MPL

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