The Union Health Ministry is understood to have begun the process to scout for a successor to the present Drug Controller General (India) Dr M Venkateshwarlu, who has been on a six-month extension from August, 2007.

The Health Ministry has put out a newspaper advertisement seeking applications from the eligible candidates for filling up one post of the Joint Drug Controller (India) by deputation from other Government organizations and institutions, on Saturday.

Though call for application says the post was for joint drug controller, sources said, it was meant to fill up the vacancy of the DCGI as Dr Venkateshwarlu is due to retire by the end of January. Technically, the present DCGI is also holding the post of Joint Drug Controller and has been given the charge as the DCGI.

If the effort to find the new person succeeds, Dr Venkateshwarlu will relieve the charge by the end of December or January, sources said. There is also another Joint Drug Controller in the Directorate General of Health Services at present. However, the Health Ministry has already declined his application to be promoted as the DCGI, thus paving way for new selection.

``Applications are invited for filling up the post by deputation, including short-term contract from officers under the Central/State Governments/Union Territories/Autonomous organizations/ recognized research institutions,'' the advertisement said. The applications should reach within 45 days, it said.

Though the UPSC has finalized a panel of five members last time, the Health Ministry voted for the extension of Dr Venkateshwarlu, who is well accepted by different sectors of the industry, in July last.

According to the advertisement, applications have been invited from those having graduate degree in pharmacy or pharmaceutical chemistry or in medicine with specialization in clinical pharmacology or microbiology from a recognized university and having five years experience in the manufacture or testing of drugs or enforcement of the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Dr Venkateshwarlu took over as the DCGI on September 2006, replacing Ashwini Kumar. He was earlier the deputy drugs controller of India (west zone). Dr Venkateswarulu joined the drugs control department as a drugs inspector in 1974 and was heading the Western Region of the CDSCO for the past 13 years.