Maternal, newborn child specialist Dr Rajiv Bahl takes charge as Director General ICMR

New Delhi: Renowned WHO official Dr Rajiv Bahl has recently been appointed as the Director General of the apex research regulator, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) cum- Secretary of the Department of Health Research (DHR). He has been assigned the post for three years. 

Dr Bahl has been serving as head of research in the maternal, newborn child, and adolescent Health-cum-Newborn unit of the World Health Organization (WHO). The order of his appointment was issued on 23rd September 2022 by the Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India. 

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Bahl will replace Dr. Balram Bhargava as his extended tenure as DG, ICMR, and Secretary of the Department of Health Research ended in July.

The order has been issued by the Secretary, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and Establishment Officer Deepti Umashankar, and the issue of the letter has been sent to several concerned authorities, including Cabinet Secretary, Principal Secretary to PM, Secretary to the President of India, and so on

"The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr. Rajiv Bahl, head of research on maternal, newborn child and adolescent Health-cum-Newborn unit head, department of maternal newborn child and adolescent health and ageing, World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, Switzerland to the post-Director General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-cum- Secretary Department of Health Research for a period of three years, with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further order, whichever is earlier," reads the order.

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Dr. Rajiv Bahl joined WHO in 2003 and currently coordinates research and guidelines development in the areas of maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health. Dr. Bahl trained as a pediatrician in Delhi, India, and obtained his Ph.D. in public health. Before joining WHO, he was a Senior Scientist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for 10 years.