Deepti Gaur Mukerjee, a senior bureaucrat and 1993-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as Higher Education Secretary in a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle announced on 10 August. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved her appointment, which comes in the backdrop of the NEET UG paper leak controversy.
She succeeds Vineet Joshi, who was moved last month to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
Alongside Mukerjee's appointment, five other office positions were reshuffled and approved by the ACC. The notice mentions that ACC-approved appointments are in partial modification of its earlier order dated 23 July.
All about Deepti Gaur Mukerjee
Mukerjee had been serving as the Corporate Affairs Secretary since 16 August 2024, overseeing policy and regulatory matters related to corporate governance and company law. During this period, she came to be known for her work on policy initiatives, including reforms linked to the Competition Act and the proposed Digital Competition framework.
Pallavi Jain Govil has now taken charge of Corporate Affairs in her place.
Mukerjee also serves as a member of the board of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Chairperson of the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority, Bureaucrats Magazine reported.
The 57-year-old senior IAS officer has a Master's degree in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and an MSc in Public Management and Governance from the London School of Economics (LSE).
Born on 3 February 1969 in Uttar Pradesh, Mukherjee boasts an academic background in economics and public policy. Over the course of her administrative career, she held several roles in both the state and central government.
According to Bureaucrats Magazine, she served as Principal Secretary in departments such as Personnel, General Administration and Sports and Youth Welfare while being associated with the Government of Madhya Pradesh. She managed administrative reforms and governance-related responsibilities.
At the national level, she oversaw the implementation of one of India’s flagship public health insurance programmes — Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana — while she served as Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Authority. At the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, she once served as Additional Secretary.
Deepti Gaur Mukerjee's career spans roles including Additional Secretary, Principal Secretary, Commissioner & Director, Joint Secretary, District Collector and Deputy Secretary.
