The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the re-appointment of Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi as Drugs Controller (India), heading the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), for a further period of one year on a contract basis.

According to an order issued on February 28, the extension is effective from March 1, 2026, and will remain valid for one year, or until a regular incumbent is appointed, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. As part of the decision, the Recruitment Rules (RRs) for the post have been kept in abeyance. The reappointment follows a proposal from the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

This marks the second extension for Dr Raghuvanshi, who assumed charge as Drugs Controller General (India) (DCGI) on February 23, 2023. He was originally scheduled to superannuate on February 28, 2025. In February 2025, the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions extended his tenure until the end of February 2026.

The latest extension comes at a critical time when CDSCO is overseeing the strict implementation of the revised Schedule M norms across the pharmaceutical sector. 

Before taking over as DCGI, Raghuvanshi served as Secretary-cum-Scientific Director of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) from February 2021. He held the position until June 2025, after which Dr V Kalaiselvan assumed charge.

In the private sector, Dr Raghuvanshi has held senior leadership roles at Dr Reddy's Laboratories and Ranbaxy Research Laboratories, and has also worked with Dabur Research Foundation and the National Institute of Immunology during his early career.