IRS Officer Iftakhar Ahmed Chowdhry Appointed Deputy Secretary in Department of Health Research
In another key bureaucratic movement at the central level, the Government of India has officially cleared the appointment of Indian Revenue Service officer Iftakhar Ahmed Chowdhry as Deputy Secretary in the Department of Health Research under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
According to a formal Office Memorandum issued by the Department of Personnel and Training under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Chowdhry’s tenure will fall squarely within the Central Staffing Scheme framework.
This strategic move brings a seasoned finance and taxation officer into the core administrative setup of national health research policy and medical infrastructure governance.
The official order, dispatched under file number 5/5/2026-EO (MM-I) from Kartavya Bhawan-3 in New Delhi, confirms that Chowdhry was recommended for central deputation by his parent cadre controlling authority, the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance.
Belonging to the 2013 batch of the IRS (Customs & Indirect Taxes) cadre, the officer has been selected to serve in this deputy secretary level role for an initial period of four years starting from the date he formally takes over charge, or until the central government issues further directives down the road.
To ensure a smooth and swift transition, the central authority has asked the Department of Revenue, headed by Revenue Secretary Arvind Shrivastava, to relieve Chowdhry of his current duties immediately so he can assume his new post without delay.
Stepping into the Department of Health Research, where Dr. Rajiv Bahl serves as Secretary, places Chowdhry at an important intersection of policy execution, financial management, and medical research administration. The department plays a pivotal role in formulating health research strategies, overseeing major medical institutions, funding groundbreaking healthcare studies, and coordinating national responses to public health challenges.
With his background in customs and indirect taxation handling complex regulatory environments, Chowdhry’s administrative experience is expected to add valuable operational oversight to the central ministry’s expanding research initiatives and financial allocations.
As with all central deputation appointments under DoP&T, the official directive comes with strict timelines and compliance conditions. The communication explicitly draws attention to longstanding directions issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet through DoP&T circular number 3/4/2004-EO(MM-I), dated August 17, 2005.
Under these binding guidelines, any officer selected for a post under the Central Staffing Scheme must report for duty within three weeks from the date the formal appointment order is issued.
If an officer fails to join their new assignment within this mandatory three week window, the central authority automatically kicks off formal debarment proceedings to disqualify them from future postings under the Central Staffing Scheme.
The official memorandum carries the signature of Director Annies Kanmani Joy, who issued the formal directive on behalf of the Establishment Officer’s division. Copies of the notification have been dispatched across top administrative channels to facilitate prompt administrative handovers.
Key recipients listed in the document include the Department of Health Research, which will issue the formal notification of appointment as soon as Chowdhry takes over charge, alongside the Private Secretary to the Minister of State for Personnel, the Principal Private Secretary to the Establishment Officer, and the Department of Revenue for direct transmission to the officer.
For Iftakhar Ahmed Chowdhry, who has spent over a decade in public service managing revenue administration, indirect taxes, and customs enforcement since joining the IRS in 2013, this deputation represents a significant career step into core central ministry administration in New Delhi.
Navigating complex inter-departmental workflows and research funding pipelines demands close coordination between medical experts, central administrative bodies, and financial controllers. As his parent department prepares his formal relief documents, Chowdhry is expected to join the Department of Health Research shortly to take charge of his new deputy secretary portfolio at Kartavya Bhawan’s administrative network.
