11/03/2025
Public Interest Litigation Filed in Allahabad High Court Over Educational Qualifications of Assistant Drug Commissioners in Uttar Pradesh
Petition Demands Verification of Mandatory Experience Certificates
Allahabad.। A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Hon’ble Allahabad High Court challenging the educational qualifications and mandatory experience certificates of Assistant Drug Commissioners (ADC) in Uttar Pradesh. The petition has been submitted before the bench of the Hon’ble Chief Justice by petitioner Jaideep Kumar Gupta.
RTI Requests Denied Despite Multiple Attempts
Petitioner Jaideep Kumar Gupta stated that he had been seeking information regarding the educational qualifications and experience certificates of Assistant Drug Commissioners from the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, Uttar Pradesh, under the Right to Information (RTI) Act for a long time. However, the department refused to provide the information, citing it as personal data.
Questions Raised Over an Officer’s Long Tenure at Headquarters
The petition also highlights that Dinesh Kumar Tiwari, the Nodal Officer at the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department Headquarters in Lucknow, has been stationed at the headquarters for more than ten years. Allegations have been made that he is presenting his experience in tablet and syrup production as a Schedule-C experience certificate, which does not meet the required qualifications.
Demand for Statewide Verification of ADCs’ Qualifications
The petitioner has demanded a verification of the educational qualifications and mandatory experience certificates of all Assistant Drug Commissioners posted across the state’s divisions and headquarters.
Legal Battle Over Drug Licensing Authority in the Past
It is noteworthy that earlier in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Medical Officers (CMOs), Pathologists, and Professors of Medical Colleges were authorized to act as Drug Licensing Authorities. Jaideep Gupta had previously filed a writ petition in the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court challenging this arrangement.
Following a High Court order, Drug Inspectors were granted the authority to issue drug licenses. However, at that time, the affidavit submitted by the department did not provide clarity regarding educational qualifications and the mandatory Schedule-C experience.
Irregularities in Appointments Have Been Questioned Before
This is not the first time that irregularities in the appointment process of Assistant Drug Commissioners have come under scrutiny. In the past, complaints have been filed regarding violations of qualification, experience, and departmental rules. It remains to be seen how the High Court rules on this public interest litigation and whether the state government takes any action on the matter.
