Naresh Pal Gangwar IAS appointed as Secretary- Department of Higher Education
Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar IAS (Rajasthan 1994), presently Secretary- Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, has been appointed as Secretary- Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education vice Shri Vineet Joshi IAS (MN:92) upon his appointment as Secretary- Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar, an officer of the 1994 batch of the Indian Administrative Service from the Rajasthan cadre, has built a wide-ranging administrative career spanning district administration, education, energy, transport, environment, agriculture and animal husbandry. His professional journey reflects extensive experience across both the state and Union Governments, with assignments covering key sectors of public administration and policy implementation.
An accomplished academic, Shri Gangwar holds a B.E. in Electronics and Communication Engineering from the University of Roorkee, where he secured a first-class qualification. He subsequently obtained an M.Tech. in Communication from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, also with first-class results. His academic background was further broadened through an M.A. in Economics from the University of Rajasthan, in which he again secured first-class results. He has also completed an Advanced Diploma in Finance from NALSAR University, Hyderabad. This combination of engineering, economics and finance has provided him with a broad foundation for handling complex administrative and policy responsibilities.
Shri Gangwar began his administrative career with field assignments as Sub-Divisional Officer and later Additional Collector in Udaipur. He subsequently served as District Collector and District Magistrate in Tonk, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Jodhpur and Bharatpur. These postings provided him with extensive experience in district administration, land and revenue management, public service delivery and development coordination across diverse regions of Rajasthan.
His early administrative responsibilities also included assignments in the Medical and Health Department and the Personnel Department of the Rajasthan Government. He later served in the Industries Department, gaining exposure to industrial administration and economic activity at the state level. His experience in district administration and state secretariat assignments provided a strong foundation for the senior sectoral responsibilities that followed.
Shri Gangwar subsequently moved into the energy sector, serving as Special Secretary in the Energy Department and later as Secretary, Principal Secretary and Chairman and Managing Director of the Rajasthan Energy Development Corporation. His long association with the energy sector gave him substantial exposure to the management of a strategically important area of infrastructure and economic development.
He also served as Managing Director of the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation and later as Chairman and Managing Director of the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation. These assignments broadened his administrative experience across tourism and public transport, involving the management of large public institutions and service-oriented organisations.
Education has been another important area of Shri Gangwar’s administrative career. He served in several senior positions in the School Education Department of Rajasthan, including Secretary to Government and Principal Secretary. He also served as Commissioner of the Rajasthan Council of Primary Education. These responsibilities placed him at the centre of policy and programme implementation in the education sector.
He later served as Principal Secretary and Commissioner in the Planning and Development Department of Rajasthan and as Principal Secretary and Chairman in the Energy Department. He also held the position of Agricultural Production Commissioner and Principal Secretary in the Agriculture Department, gaining experience in agricultural administration and development policy.
At the Union Government level, Shri Gangwar served as Joint Secretary and subsequently Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. His responsibilities in the environment sector added another important dimension to his administrative experience, involving policy and governance in a complex area requiring coordination across multiple stakeholders.
Since September 2025, Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar has been serving as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The assignment places him at the helm of an important sector linked with rural livelihoods, livestock development and the broader agricultural economy.
With a career spanning more than three decades, Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar has worked across district administration, education, energy, transport, tourism, planning, agriculture and environment before taking on senior responsibilities in animal husbandry and dairying. His multidisciplinary academic background and varied administrative experience have enabled him to bring a broad perspective to governance. His progression through diverse assignments reflects the depth and range of responsibilities entrusted to him during his long career in public administration.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar the very best.