Deepti Gaur Mukherjee assumes charge as higher education secretary

Deepti Gaur Mukherjee, a 1993-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from Madhya Pradesh, assumed the role of secretary of the department of higher education on Wednesday. Previously, she served as secretary in the ministry of corporate affairs, having held various senior administrative positions throughout her career.

The department of higher education is responsible for government policies and programs related to universities, colleges, and other higher education institutions, overseeing areas such as funding, quality, access, student and teacher issues, research, and major education reforms. Mukherjee will serve as the department's top bureaucrat, overseeing the implementation of these policies and programs.

Her education-sector experience includes involvement in programmes aimed at improving learning outcomes and encouraging reading among schoolchildren. She is set to take charge at a time when higher education is undergoing several changes, including examination and admissions systems, institutional reforms, and the implementation of NEP 2020.