In a significant bureaucratic reshuffle, Vineet Joshi, a seasoned Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1992 batch from the Manipur cadre, has been appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education. Before this appointment, Joshi served as the Chief Secretary of Manipur, a position he assumed in May 2023 amid escalating ethnic tensions in the state. His tenure was marked by efforts to stabilise the region during a period of significant unrest.
Vineet Joshi has previously held the position of Director-General of the National Testing Agency (NTA), overseeing major entrance examinations such as the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main. Additionally, he has served as the Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), where he was instrumental in introducing the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) system.
His academic credentials include a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and a Master of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).
The position of Secretary for Higher Education became vacant following the appointment of K Sanjay Murthy as the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). Joshi’s appointment is expected to bring a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to the Department of Higher Education, aligning with the government’s vision to enhance the quality and accessibility of higher education in India.
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His familiarity with the education ministry, having previously served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, positions him well to lead the department during this transformative period. Colleagues and stakeholders anticipate that his leadership will contribute significantly to the ongoing implementation of educational reforms aimed at fostering innovation and inclusivity within the higher education landscape.
As the new Secretary, Joshi is expected to prioritise the execution of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, focusing on multidisciplinary education, research, and the integration of technology to meet the evolving demands of the global educational environment.
