The deadline for applying for the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) position has been extended by the Union government due to a lackluster response to the advertisement. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released a circular on Wednesday announcing that the deadline for submitting applications mentioned in a previous advertisement was 60 days from October 9. The final deadline has been pushed back, allowing candidates to submit their applications until November 23, 2024.
DCGI leads India’s top health regulatory body, CDSCO, overseeing all aspects of medicines, cosmetics, vaccines, and medical devices regulation, including manufacturing, sales, and import-export. It is also in charge of several other aspects, such as creating and upkeeping national reference standards and enforcing the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
At present, Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi serves as the DCGI and will remain in office until February 28, 2025. The latest circular announced the extension of the deadline for eligible candidates to apply for the position of Drugs Controller (India) Group ‘A Pay Level 14 in CDSCO, as stated. According to two senior government officials, the Union government has extended the participation deadline due to a positive initial response and expects an increase in applications in the following weeks.
Up to this point, we have only received a total of five applications. An officer with knowledge of the matter told that it would be beneficial for more senior officials to apply for the important position. Currently, the government has received applications from Dr VG Somani, Dr A Ramkishan, Dr A Visala, Dr Aseem Sahu, and Dr Jai Prakash. Dr VG Somani was the previous DCGI from 2019 to 2022, while Dr A Ramkishan is employed at CDSCO and is the inaugural doctor on the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s biological standardisation panel.
Dr A Visala and Dr Aseem Sahu hold positions at CDSCO – Dr Visala is the joint drugs controller, while Dr Sahu is the deputy drugs controller in the medical devices division. Dr. Jai Prakash used to hold the position of secretary and scientific director at the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission. The circular stated that individuals who have already submitted applications for this position in response to the previous advertisement do not need to reapply.