The Centre has introduced revised recruitment rules for the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), aiming to fix long-standing issues in the selection process and widen the pool of eligible candidates for the country’s top drug regulator.
Currently, Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi continues in the role on contractual extensions after retiring in February 2025. His tenure has been extended twice, with the latest term running until March 2027 or until a regular appointment is made, leaving the post effectively without a permanent incumbent for over a year.
The DCGI heads the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is responsible for approving drugs, vaccines, and medical devices, as well as enforcing the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
Under the new rules, eligibility criteria have been significantly broadened. Candidates must now hold a Master’s degree in a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, biotechnology, life sciences, or medicine with specialisation, replacing the earlier restriction to pharmacy or medical graduates. A PhD is desirable but not mandatory.
While the 15-year experience requirement remains, its scope has been expanded to include regulation, clinical trials, and medical devices, beyond the earlier focus on drug manufacturing and enforcement. The upper age limit has also been raised from 56 to 58 years.
The post will continue to be filled through deputation for up to five years, with no provision for direct recruitment. Appointment will require consultation with the Union Public Service Commission, and candidates must be serving officials from government bodies, public sector units, or recognised academic and research institutions.
The changes come after the government faced difficulties in filling the post in 2024, when only two out of 18 applicants met the earlier eligibility criteria. The issue was challenged in court by D. Muthu before the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court, where the Centre acknowledged that the 2011 rules were too restrictive. The court later allowed time for revising the norms.
The new framework is expected to resolve the recruitment deadlock and enable the selection of a permanent DCGI from a broader and more diverse talent pool.