Uzbekistan has approved a list of ministries, government agencies and regional executive bodies to be coordinated by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Science Erkinjon Turdimov. The decision was established by a presidential decree dated October 9.
Under the decree, Turdimov will exercise general oversight and coordination, within the scope of his authority, over the activities of relevant ministries, committees, agencies and inspectorates, as well as regional administrations responsible for education, science and healthcare.
The list includes the Ministry of Education and Science and its subordinate organizations, including the Agency for Specialized Educational Institutions, the Vocational Education Agency, the Innovative Development Agency and the Agency for Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. The Ministry of Health and organizations operating within its system have also been included. These comprise the Committee for Sanitary-Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health, the Agency for the Development of the Medical and Pharmaceutical Sector and the Clinical Audit Inspection.
The decree also assigns Turdimov responsibility for coordinating specific activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs related to educational institutions. These include preventing the spread of narcotic and psychotropic substances among pupils and students, as well as preventing crimes involving harassment and violence. Coordination with the Youth Affairs Agency will focus on expanding opportunities for young people to acquire modern knowledge and vocational skills. It will also cover activities aimed at promoting loyalty to the country and respect for national and universal human values.
The Academy of Sciences and other ministries, committees, agencies and inspectorates carrying out relevant functions in education, science and healthcare are also included. At the regional level, the decree covers deputy chairpersons of the Council of Ministers of Karakalpakstan and deputy governors of Uzbekistan's regions and Tashkent city responsible for these sectors.
The decree separately establishes cooperation with the State Security Service and the National Guard on matters concerning schoolchildren and university students. Cooperation with the State Security Service will involve coordinating activities with pupils and students in local communities, known as mahallas, and preventing young people from coming under the influence of harmful movements and extremism.
Work with the National Guard will focus on promoting patriotism, personal responsibility for the country's future and healthy lifestyles among pupils and students. These activities will be coordinated alongside the responsibilities assigned to the relevant education and youth affairs authorities.
The presidential decree also provides for the establishment of a Secretariat for Education, Science and Healthcare Issues within the Cabinet of Ministers. The new secretariat will have 12 staff positions. Five positions will be formed by reallocating personnel from the Cabinet of Ministers' Department for Social Development. The remaining seven positions will be established through the optimization of staffing structures in the reorganized education ministries.
The Cabinet of Ministers has been instructed to approve the functional responsibilities of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Science, along with the regulations governing the secretariat, within two weeks. Oversight of the decree's implementation has been assigned to Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and Head of the Presidential Administration Saida Mirziyoyeva.
Erkinjon Turdimov was previously appointed First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Science by presidential decree. Following his appointment, he was relieved of his duties as governor of Syrdarya Region. The position of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education and Science has been incorporated into the executive structure of the Cabinet of Ministers to coordinate reforms in education, science and healthcare.
The October 9 decree defines the ministries, agencies and regional authorities falling within the scope of the new position's coordination responsibilities and establishes the administrative structure supporting its work.