CBI arrests Deputy Drug Controller over graft charges

The Central Bureau of Investigation on Sunday arrested Dr Naresh Sharma, Deputy Drug Controller of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), in an attempt to crack down on the corruption in India's drug regulating body. Dr Sharma has been suspended with immediate effect, said a press statement from the Press Information Bureau (PIB). "All stakeholders, public and officers shall take cognizance of the fact that CDSCO has the policy of zero tolerance towards corruption and is committed to act stringently against any act of corruption," the government statement said.

Naresh Sharma joined the CDSCO in November 2006, from Dabur Research Foundation. His past work experiences have involved stints with Cadila Healthcare, JK Pharmaceuticals among others. Sharma was also elected as the President of the Delhi chapter of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) in 2018. IPA is the lobby group of top Indian generic drug makers.

In his 2018 speech while elected as the Delhi President of IPA, Sharma had said that he was setting three objectives for his tenure "namely, activity, membership drive and fund generation. We need to set targets and hopefully we will achieve them.” he said this as reported by website Pharmabiz.


India's drug regulator in the past has been accused of having too close a connection with the pharma industry, where conflict of interest and a quid pro quo attitude raised questions about its prime responsibility- the protection of consumers and patients.

"For decades together, it has been according primacy to the propagation and facilitation of the drugs industry, due to which, unfortunately , the interest of the biggest stakeholder, i.e., the consumer, has never been ensured,“ a 2012 Parliamentary committee report on health had said about the CDSCO.