Central Health Service

In today's world, Central Health Service has become a topic of great relevance and interest to a wide spectrum of society. Since its emergence, Central Health Service has captured the attention of academics, experts, professionals and the general public, generating a debate in which multiple points of view are presented and different aspects related to this topic are analyzed. Over time, Central Health Service has evolved, adapting to the changes and challenges that arise in today's world, and its influence has extended to various spheres, from politics and economics, to culture and entertainment. In this article we will explore the most relevant aspects of Central Health Service, examining its impact on society and its role in the contemporary world.

Central Health Service

Cadre Controlling Ministry
Service Overview
Abbreviation CHS
Formed 1963 (1963)
Country  India
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)
Service Chief
Director General of Health Services Dr Atul Goel

Central Health Service (CHS) is an organised central group of Civil Service of the Government of India.[1][2][3] The Cadre controlling authority of Central Health Service is the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and it is the only organised service under MoHFW.[4] 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.[5]

CHS has 4 sub-cadres[6]

  1. General Duty Medical Officers (GDMO)
  2. Teaching Specialists
  3. Non-Teaching Specialists
  4. Public Health Specialists

The roles and responsibilities of the CHS Officers depend on their sub-cadre and the organisation to which they are appointed.

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.[7][8] The Rules for the Constitution of the Central Health Service was notified in May 1963.[9][10] 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.[11][12] 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.[13] On 18th 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.[12] In 1982, CHS was restructured into 4 sub-cadres, as it exists today.

On 21st 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.[14]

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) of GDMO sub-cadre of CHS.[15] There is a separate recruitment process by UPSC for the Specialist posts of the remaining sub-cadres.[16]

Training

The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri J. P. Nadda with the General Duty Medical Officers of the First Foundation Training Programme
The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind with the General Duty Medical Officers of the 2nd Foundation Training Programme.
The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind with the General Duty Medical Officers of the 3rd Foundation Training Programme.

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.[17][18]

Participating Units of CHS

CHS officers are posted at various participating units/organisations all over India.

Ministry Organisation Unit
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Directorate General of Health Services Safdarjung Hospital
Dr. RML Hospital
Lady Hardinge Medical College
Rural Health Training Centre, Najafgarh
Department of Health and Family Welfare Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)
National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)
Ministry of Labour and Employment Directorate General of Labour Welfare Labour Welfare Organisation
Ministry of Jal Shakti Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune

Cadre Structure

Cadre structure as per the CHS Rules 2014[19] and the CHS Amendment Rules 2019[20]

CENTRAL HEALTH SERVICE (CHS)
Sl. No. Sub-Cadre Sanctioned Strength[21]
1 General Duty Medical Officers (GDMO) 2319
2 Teaching Specialist (T) 1716
3 Non-Teaching Specialist (NT) 654
4 Public Health Specialist (PH) 104
Total 4793
Grade GDMO Teaching

Specialist

Non-Teaching

Specialist

Public Health

Specialist

Pay Level in the 7th CPC Pay Matrix
Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Level - 17
Special Director General of Health Services Level - 17
Additional Director General of Health Services Level - 15
Senior Administrative Grade (SAG)
GP- 10000 		Senior Chief Medical Officer (SAG) Director Professor Consultant Advisor Level - 14
Non Functional Selection Grade (NFSG)
GP- 8700 		Chief Medical Officer (NFSG) Professor Specialist Grade I Specialist Grade I Level - 13
Junior Administrative Grade (JAG)
GP- 7600 		Chief Medical Officer Associate Professor Specialist Grade II Specialist Grade II Level - 12
Senior Time Scale (STS)
GP- 6600 		Senior Medical Officer Assistant Professor Specialist Grade III Specialist Grade III Level - 11
Junior Time Scale (JTS)
GP - 5400 		Medical Officer Level - 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.[22]

Years of Service 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Senior Administrative Grade Level 14
GDMO

Sub-cadre

Medical Officer Senior Medical Officer Chief Medical Officer Chief Medical Officer (NFSG)
Level/Grade Level 10 Level 11 Level 12 Level 13
Years of Service 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Specialists

Sub-cadres

Grade III Grade II Grade 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.[6]

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.[23]

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.[24]

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%.[25]

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.[26][27]

The officers who joined the service before 1st 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 1st 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 1st April 2025 which ensures a defined payout on retirement.[28][29]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Shortage of Doctors in Government Hospitals". pib.gov.in.
  2. ^ "Press Release: Press Information Bureau".
  3. ^ "Updated list of Central Organised Group A Civil Services" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Cadre Controlling Ministries".
  5. ^ New Indian Express: A Case for an Indian Health Service
  6. ^ a b c "CHS Rules 2014" (PDF).
  7. ^ 8th Annual Report of UPSC, 1958
  8. ^ 10th Annual Report of UPSC, 1960
  9. ^ "Annual Report of the Department of Health and Family Welfare 2023-2024" (PDF).
  10. ^ 14th Annual Report of UPSC, 1964
  11. ^ 19th Annual Report of UPSC, 1969
  12. ^ a b 27th Annual Report of UPSC, 1977
  13. ^ 30th Annual Report of UPSC, 1980
  14. ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). eparlib.nic.in.
  15. ^ https://upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notifica-CMSE-2024-engl-100424.pdf
  16. ^ UPSC Advertisement for the recruitment of CHS Specialist Grade Officers
  17. ^ https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://nihfw.ac.in/Doc/circular%2520FTP%255B18241%255D.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjKqYrS64CLAxUwUGwGHc1pIF0QFnoECC8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw1eZzQ7SmFboU_EECPF21U7
  18. ^ https://nihfw.ac.in/Doc/Advt.%20for%205th%20CHS%20Training.pdf
  19. ^ https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/40341676761406801162.pdf CHS Rules 2014
  20. ^ https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/CHS%20%28Amendment%29%20Rules%2C%202019.pdf CHS (Amendment) Rules 2019
  21. ^ Annual Report of the Department of Health and Family Welfare 2024-2025
  22. ^ DACP scheme for CHS doctors
  23. ^ "Non Functional Upgradation DoPT" (PDF).
  24. ^ https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/3_2.pdf
  25. ^ https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/4_2.pdf
  26. ^ "extension of superannuation age" (PDF).
  27. ^ New Indian Express: Retirement age of central govt doctors raised to 65 years
  28. ^ https://frontline.thehindu.com/politics/india-pension-controversy-ups-nps-ops-reforms-government-employees/article68639406.ece
  29. ^ https://www.businesstoday.in/personal-finance/retirement-planning/story/ups-to-offer-assured-pension-minister-explains-difference-between-nps-and-ups-469695-2025-03-27