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 The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the reappointment of Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi as the Drugs Controller (India), heading the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), on a contract period for a period of one more year. The government is keeping the recruitment rules for the post in abeyance, as part of the decision for extending the tenure of Raghuvanshi.
The reappointment is based on a proposal for the Department of Health and Family Welfare. The ACC, in an order on February 28, said that the reappointment is "on a contract basis for further period of one year w.e.f March 1, 2026, or till the appointment of a regular incumbent to the post, or until further orders, whichever is earliest, by keeping the Recruitment Rules (RRs) for the post in abeyance".
This is the second extension for Raghuvanshi in the post of Drugs Controller General (India) (DCGI), as the who took charge as the DCGI on February 23, 2023, was to superannuate on February 28, 2025. The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, has in February, 2025, issued an order extending his tenure till the end of February, 2026.
The re-appointment comes at a juncture where the CDSCO is spearheading strict implementation of revised Schedule M across the pharma industry. The move has been opposed by various industry bodies, as it is expected to result in closing down of thousands of micro, small and medium pharma units in the country, impacting the lives of several lakhs of people.
It may be noted that while the Ministry of Health has initiated the process to fill the post of DCGI, on deputation (ISTC) by publishing an advertisement in August, 2024. Sources said that while the Ministry received several applications, the applicants were found to be ineligible or suitable at the given situation. The Ministry stepped back from the process almost a year after it invited applications from eligible candidates, without mentioning any reason.
The extension of appointment of Raghuvanshi to the post in 2025 was questioned in the Madras High Court, last year, alleging that the move is in violation of recruitment rules. The Central Government, while defending the decision, justified the extension stating that there was no other suitable successor for the post and that the post cannot be kept vacant owing to its importance.
Prior to joining the post of DCGI in 2023, he served as the Secretary-cum-Scientific Director of Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) from February, 2021. He held the position till June, 2025, following which Dr. V. Kalaiselvan took charge at the top of IPC.
Raghuvanshi had his stint in Dr Reddy's Laboratories as the Senior Vice President and Head of Differentiated Formulations R&D, and in Ranbaxy Research Laboratories as Director. He worked with Dabur Research Foundation in Formulation Development, and was a staff scientist at the National Institute of Immunology, in his early stage of career.
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