Central Health Service

Central Health Service Abbreviation CHS Formed CHS Rules, 1963 Country PredecessorIndian Medical Service (Civil) (1896-1947) Cadre Controlling Authority Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Legal Personality Governmental: Civil Service (Health Service) Recruitment Union Public Service Commission Training Institute NIHFW, New Delhi Cadre Strength 4793 (2025) Director General of Health Services Dr. Loveneesh Gopal Krishna (CHS)

Central Health Service (CHS) is an Organised Central (Group-A) Civil Service of the Government of India. The Cadre controlling authority of Central Health Service is the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and it is the only Organised Group-A service under MoHFW. CHS is one of the three Organised Health Services of the Government of India, other two being the Indian Railway Health Service (IRHS) and Indian Ordnance Factory Health Service (IOFHS). CHS Officers are involved in providing clinical care, medical education, health administration and implementation of Health Programs through various Central Government Institutions.

CHS has 4 sub-cadres

General Duty Medical Officers (GDMO) Teaching Specialists (T) Non-Teaching Specialists (NT) Public Health Specialists (PH) The CHS posts are Gazetted and the roles & responsibilities of the CHS Officers varies with the sub-cadre and the organisation/units to which the appointments are made.

History In 1957, the Government of India initiated steps to constitute a Central Health Service, consisting of all posts in the Central Health Cadre such as Medical, Public Health and Medical Research posts in the General Central Services Class I and Class II, excluding the posts under Ministries of Railways and Defence.8th Annual Report of UPSC, 195810th Annual Report of UPSC, 1960 The Rules for the Constitution of the Central Health Service was notified in May 1963.14th Annual Report of UPSC, 1964 Initially the service had two streams, (i) General Duty Officer (GDO) and (ii) Specialists. MBBS Graduates were recruited at GDO Grade II which was a Class II post and were eligible for promotion after 5 years to GDO Grade I, which was a Class I post. Doctors with Post-Graduate Qualification were also recruited to GDO stream, but at GDO Grade I level.

Though an All India Service called Indian Medical and Health Service (IMHS) was planned to be constituted with CHS officers in 1969, it was not implemented.19th Annual Report of UPSC, 1969 In 1973, CHS was declared as a Class I service. Till 1974, the Medical and Public Health posts under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was included in CHS.30th Annual Report of UPSC, 1980 On 18 February 1977, the UPSC conducted the first Combined Examination for recruitment to Medical posts under Central Government, including CHS. Prior to 1977, the selection to these posts was on the basis of interview.27th Annual Report of UPSC, 1977 In 1982, CHS was restructured into 4 sub-cadres, as it exists today.

On 21 August 1989, a Memorandum of Settlement (MOS) was signed between the Government and the Joint Action Council of Service Doctors Organisations (JACSDO) to improve the service conditions and the career progression. Following this a High Power Committee (Tikku Committee) was constituted to look into these issues.

Recruitment The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Combined Medical Services Examination (CMSE) every year to recruit officers to various health service cadres including to Medical Officer Grade (Level-10 / Junior Time Scale) of GDMO sub-cadre of CHS. There is a separate recruitment process by UPSC for the Specialist posts of the remaining sub-cadres. The recruitment to Specialist Sub-cadre are done at Level-11 (Senior Time Scale).UPSC Advertisement for the recruitment of CHS Specialist Grade Officers

Training

General Duty Medical Officers of the CHS undergo their Foundation Training Program (FTP) with special focus on Health administration at the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), New Delhi.Advt. for 5th CHS Training

Participating Units of CHS CHS officers are posted at various participating units/organisations all over India +MinistryOrganisationUnitMinistry of Health and Family WelfareDirectorate General of Health ServicesSafdarjung HospitalDr. RML HospitalLady Hardinge Medical CollegeRural Health Training Centre, Najafgarh Point of Entry Health Organizations (APHO/PHO/LPHO)Regional Office of Health and Family Welfare (ROHFW)National Centre for Disease ControlNational Vector Borne Disease Control ProgrammeNational Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO)Central Health Education Bureau (CHEB)All India Institute of Hygiene and Public HealthAll India Institute of Physical Medicine and RehabilitationCentral Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute (CLTRI), ChengalpattuCentral Research Institute, KasauliCentral Institute of Psychiatry, RanchiBCG Vaccine Laboratory, GuindyDepartment of Health and Family WelfareCentral Government Health Scheme (CGHS)National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)National Institute of Public Health Training and ResearchMinistry of Labour and Employment Directorate General of Labour WelfareLabour Welfare Organisation (Beedi, Cine, Non-Coal Mine Dispensaries) Ministry of Jal ShaktiDepartment of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Central Water and Power Research Station, PuneMinistry of Science and TechnologyDepartment of Science and TechnologySurvey of IndiaMinistry of Personnel, Public Grievances and PensionsDepartment of Personnel and TrainingLal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, MussoorieMinistry of Home AffairsDepartment of Internal SecuritySardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, HyderabadIntelligence Bureau

Cadre Structure Cadre structure as per the CHS Rules 2014 and the CHS Amendment Rules 2019CHS Amendment Rules 2019 +CENTRAL HEALTH SERVICE (CHS)Sl. No.Sub-CadreSanctioned StrengthAnnual Report of the Department of Health and Family Welfare 2024-20251General Duty Medical Officers (GDMO)23192Teaching Specialist (T)17163Non-Teaching Specialist (NT)6544Public Health Specialist (PH)104Total4793 +GradeGDMOTeaching SpecialistNon-Teaching SpecialistPublic Health SpecialistPay Level in the 7th CPC Pay MatrixApex ScaleDirector General of Health Services (DGHS)Level - 17Special Director General of Health ServicesLevel - 17 Higher Administrative Grade (HAG)Additional Director General of Health ServicesLevel - 15Senior Administrative Grade (SAG)GP- 10000Senior Chief Medical Officer (SAG)Director ProfessorConsultantAdvisorLevel - 14Non Functional Selection Grade (NFSG)GP- 8700Chief Medical Officer (NFSG)ProfessorSpecialist Grade ISpecialist Grade ILevel - 13Junior Administrative Grade (JAG)GP- 7600Chief Medical OfficerAssociate ProfessorSpecialist Grade IISpecialist Grade IILevel - 12Senior Time Scale (STS)GP- 6600Senior Medical OfficerAssistant ProfessorSpecialist Grade IIISpecialist Grade IIILevel - 11Junior Time Scale (JTS)GP - 5400Medical OfficerLevel - 10

Career Progression Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) Scheme Central Health Service Officers are covered under the Dynamic Assured Career Progression (DACP) Scheme which provides time-bound promotion up to Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) without linkage to vacancies.DACP scheme for CHS doctors +Years of Service1234567891011121314151617181920Senior Administrative Grade Level 14GDMO Sub-cadreMedical OfficerSenior Medical OfficerChief Medical OfficerChief Medical Officer (NFSG) Level/Grade Level 10 Level 11 Level 12 Level 13Years of Service12345678910111213Specialists Sub-cadresGrade IIIGrade IIGrade I

Promotion to Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) Vacancy based promotion from a combined eligibility list of Senior Administrative Grade (Level 14) officers from all the four sub-cadres of CHS. Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) Officers with 3 years regular service in the Grade are eligible to be considered for HAG Posts. Additional DGHS with 2 years regular service in HAG is eligible to be considered for special DGHS. The Senior-most Special DGHS shall function as the Director General of Health Services.CHS (Amendment) Rules, 2019

+Seniority List of HAG level Officers of CHSNo.Name of the OfficerSub-cadreDate of appointment in HAG Date of attainment of 62 Years 1. 1.2.1.Dr. Sunita SharmaTeaching (T)2.Dr. Sujata ChaudharyTeaching (T)3.Dr. Sunita MondalTeaching (T)4.Dr. Rajender P JoshiGDMO5.Dr. RajshreeGDMO6. Dr. C K KansalGDMO7.Dr. Lovenesh Gopal KrishnaTeaching (T)8.Dr. Rajendra Kumar AryaNon-Teaching (NT)9.Dr. D Vinod KumarGDMO10.11.12.13.14.15.16.

Non-Functional Upgradation Whenever an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Officer is posted at the Centre at a particular Grade, the Batch of Officers of the Organised Group A Services (including CHS) who are senior by two years or more, and not yet promoted to that Grade are granted non-functional financial upgradation to that Grade.

Special Allowances Non Practicing Allowance (NPA)

Paid at the rate of 20% of Basic Pay, subject to the condition that the sum of Basic Pay and NPA does not exceed ₹2,37,500 (the average of Apex Level and the Level of Cabinet Secretary). NPA is treated as Pay for the purpose of calculation of Dearness Allowance and other allowances, except where the orders explicitly state otherwise, including for calculation of retirement benefits.https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/3_2.pdf

Post Graduate Allowance Paid to CHS Officers of GDMO sub-cadre, upto the level of CMO(NFSG), who possess Post-Graduate Degree and Post-Graduate Diploma, at the rate of ₹2250 and ₹1350 respectively. The rates increases by 25% each time the Dearness Allowance (DA) rises by 50%.https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/4_2.pdf

Retirement As per Rule 56 clause (bb) of the Fundamental Rules 1922, the age of superannuation of the Central Health Service (CHS) officers is 62 years, unless they exercise the option of posting to non-administrative posts, in case they desire to continue in their service up to the age of 65 years.New Indian Express: Retirement age of central govt doctors raised to 65 years

The officers who joined the service before 1 January 2004 are covered under Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules 1972, which provides an assured pension on retirement. The Officers who joined on or after 1 January 2004 are covered under National Pension System, which is a contributory pension scheme. The Government has introduced the Unified Pension Scheme with effect from 1 April 2025 which ensures a defined payout on retirement.

Notable Officers

Dr. Jagadish Prasad: Former Director General of Health Services and Padma Shri Awardee (1991). Dr. Archana Majumdar: Member of National commission for Women (Since 21 October 2024).

Central Health Service

Bron en licentie