Now Reading: Govt invites DCGI applications as wider eligibility triggers opposition
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Govt invites DCGI applications as wider eligibility triggers opposition
Govt invites DCGI applications as wider eligibility triggers opposition
The Union health ministry has invited applications for the post of Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to head the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). The move follows an April 2026…
The Story in Brief
The Union health ministry has invited applications for the post of Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to head the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). The move follows an April 2026 notification that widened eligibility to include non-pharmacy engineering disciplines such as mechanical, electrical and computer science, sparking fierce opposition from the All India Drugs Control Officers' Confederation (AIDCOC).
The DCGI position oversees India's $60 billion pharmaceutical market. Incumbent Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, who got a second extension in February 2026, will stay until March 2027 or until a successor is appointed. AIDCOC argues the expanded criteria violate the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, which mandate pharmacy or related backgrounds. The development comes after Indian-manufactured cough syrups were linked to over 140 deaths globally due to toxic solvents.
The Indian Opinion
The opposition to widening DCGI eligibility frames the change as a dilution of scientific rigour, but the real worry is India's drug regulation record. The cough syrup tragedies and WHO flags show the system needs fresh thinking, not just a closed shop. The pharmacy lobby's defence of statutory rules sounds reasonable until you recall that past DCGIs often lacked direct regulatory experience anyway. The test now is whether the new criteria attract candidates who combine technical breadth with the regulatory backbone to enforce quality, and whether the next appointee finally cleans up India's pharmaceutical oversight.
Source: livemint.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
