IAS Anil Kumar takes charge as Secretary, School Education & Literacy Department
New Delhi, July 25
T.K. Anil Kumar, a 1995-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre, assumed charge as Secretary of the Department of School Education & Literacy under the Ministry of Education on July 24.
A former Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Rural Development, Kumar brings extensive administrative experience to the new role.
In an X post, the Education Ministry announced, "T.K. Anil Kumar has assumed charge as Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education on 24 July 2026. A 1995-batch IAS officer of the Karnataka cadre and former Additional Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, he brings with him extensive administrative experience."
Earlier on Friday, Naresh Pal Gangwar was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Higher Education.
Gangwar replaced Vineet Joshi, who was Higher Education Secretary. Joshi has been transferred to the Secretary in the Department of Panchayati Raj.
The replacement comes amid the ongoing NEET-UG paper leak issue.
Moreover, the National Testing Agency (NTA) terminated 47 officials from their service, sources said on Friday and added that legal and criminal actions will also be taken against some of these officials.
The sources said that the steps are part of a complete overhaul of the NTA that has been in controversy over paper leaks.
Meanwhile, Pradhan resigned from the Union Cabinet today, stating that he had submitted his resignation to PM Modi to ensure that the protests over examination irregularities were not exploited by "anti-national forces."
The resignation came after weeks of nationwide protests over alleged examination irregularities and a 26-day hunger strike led by Wangchuk at Jantar Mantar. The agitation was spearheaded by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which has been demanding accountability over alleged paper leaks.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Impressive credentials for Kumar, but I'm more concerned about the NTA overhaul. 47 officials terminated? That's a huge step. Let's see if this actually fixes things or just more drama.
Finally! Some accountability. The NTA was becoming a joke with all those paper leaks. But I'm cautiously optimistic about Kumar's appointment - his rural development background might bring fresh perspective to school education initiatives. 🙏
The Pradhan resignation is the biggest news here. 26-day hunger strike by Wangchuk and CJP forced this change. Shows that protests can work if done right. Respect to those who stayed on the streets for justice!
As someone who works in education policy, this shuffle between departments isn't new. But the NTA's mass termination is unprecedented. Let's hope this isn't just a show - the students deserve transparent exams.
The real question is: will School Education under Kumar focus on learning outcomes or just more administrative reshuffling? We need better teacher training and infrastructure, not just new officers. 🇮🇳
Interesting timing - replacing Higher Education Secretary amid the NEET mess while bringing in a new School Education Secretary. But what about the root cause? The system needs structural reform, not just individual changes.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.