The Union government has decided to extend the application deadline for the much-hyped position of Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) after a tepid response to the advertisement for the post.
On Wednesday, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued a circular stating that the last date for submission of the application — as per the earlier advertisement — was within 60 days from the date of its publication, which was October 9. Now, the last date has been extended and the candidates can apply by November 23, 2024.
The DCGI is the head of the country’s apex health regulatory body Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), which is responsible for the regulation, manufacturing, sales, export and import of all medicines, cosmetics, vaccines and medical devices in India. It is also responsible for various other factors, including the preparation and maintenance of the national reference standards and implementation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Currently, Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi is the DCGI and his tenure ends on February 28, 2025. “In continuation of the advertisement which appeared in the Employment News dated 10-16 August 2024, it is brought to the notice of all concerned that the last date for receipt of applications from eligible candidates for appointment to the post of Drugs Controller (India) Group ‘A Pay Level 14 in CDSCO… has been extended,” said the latest circular.
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Two senior government officials told News18 that the deadline for participation has been extended as the Union government was expecting an encouraging response to the opening and anticipates more applications in the coming weeks.
“So far, only five applications have been received. For such a responsible position, it would be good if more senior officials apply,” an officer privy to the development told News18, adding: “Till now, the government has received applications from Dr VG Somani, Dr A Ramkishan, Dr A Visala, Dr Aseem Sahu, and Dr Jai Prakash.
News18 contacted the spokesperson of the Union Health Ministry for comments on the recruitment drive and applications received but did not receive a response to either the email or text message.
Dr VG Somani is the last DCGI who served from 2019 to 2022 whereas Dr A Ramkishan works at CDSCO and is also the first doctor on the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s panel for biological standardisation.
Dr A Visala is the joint drugs controller at CDSCO and Dr Aseem Sahu is the deputy drugs controller at the medical devices division, CDSCO. Dr Jai Prakash was the former secretary-cum-scientific director at the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission.
The circular said those who have already applied for this post in response to the earlier advertisement need not apply again.
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