Centre Extends DCGI Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi's Tenure Again

New Delhi: The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has cleared yet another extension for Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi as Drugs Controller (India) at the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), with the government confirming the decision on February 28.

According to the recent news report by Indiamedtoday, the government has acknowledged concerns over leaving the position unfilled. In an office memorandum submitted to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare cautioned,

"Keeping the position vacant would adversely impact the country’s effort to develop a world-class pharmaceutical ecosystem consisting of components from the production of affordable quality generics to the latest technology-based products like CAR-Ts and gene therapies for India and the world."

Dr Raghuvanshi initially took charge as DCGI on February 23, 2023, after serving as Secretary-cum-Scientific Director of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission. With extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry, including senior leadership roles at Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and Ranbaxy Laboratories, his appointment was viewed as a strategic shift toward incorporating private-sector technical expertise into a position traditionally occupied by career administrators or internally promoted officials.