The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Rajeev Raghuvanshi as the new Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), an official release stated on February 22.
Raghuvanshi, who is currently the Secretary-cum-Scientific Director at Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, has been given the DCGI charge for a three-year period ending on February 28, 2025.
The appointment has been made in "Level 14 of the Pay Matrix", on "short term contract basis", and with effect from the "date of his assumption of charge of the post till his attaining the age of superannuation on 28.02.2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier", the release stated.
Raghuvanshi will be replacing PBN Prasad, who was given an interim charge of DCGI last week. Prasad, who was the Joint Drug Controller in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), was appointed as the DCGI on February 16, for a period that was to last only till February 18.
Prasad had replaced V G Somani, whose three-year tenure had expired in August last year. He was, however, given two extensions of three months each.
Raghuvanshi, the new full-time DCGI, was recommended for the top post by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which had conducted an interview of the probable candidates and assessed their profiles.
"The Commission on the basis of assessment of bio-data of the eligible officers received...and after holding personal talks with them on January 27 recommend Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi for appointment to the post of Drug Controller (India) by short term contract basis," UPSC had communicated to the Union health ministry last month.
The role of DCGI holds significance as the occupant of the post is the head of CDSCO, which is the agency in charge of ensuring the quality of medicines, new drugs and vaccines, and monitoring related-clinical trials.
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