# Central Health Service

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 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.
CHS has 4 sub-cadres
* General Duty Medical Officers (GDMO)
* Teaching Specialists
* Non-Teaching Specialists
* 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. The Rules for the Constitution of the Central Health Service was notified in May 1963. 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. 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. 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. 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.

## 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. There is a separate recruitment process by UPSC for the Specialist posts of the remaining sub-cadres.

## 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.

## Participating Units of CHS

CHS officers are posted at various participating units/organisations all over India.
* Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)
* Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi
* Dr. RML Hospital, Delhi
* Lady Hardinge Medical College, Delhi
* Regional Offices for Health and Family Welfare (ROHFW)
* National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi
* Central Health Education Bureau (CHEB), Delhi
* Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC), Najafgarh
* Labour Welfare Organisation (LWO), Ministry of Labour
* Airport Health Organisation
* Port Health Organisation
* All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health (AIIHPH), Kolkata
* Central Leprosy Teaching and Research Institute (CLTRI), Chengalpattu
* Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi
* Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli
* Intelligence Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs
* Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad
* Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie (Department of Personnel and Training)
* Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune
* Survey of India, Dehradun/Hyderabad

## Cadre Structure

Cadre structure as per the CHS Rules 2014 and the CHS Amendment Rules 2019
CENTRAL HEALTH SERVICE (CHS) :
| Sl. No. | Sub-Cadre | Sanctioned Strength |
| 1 | General Duty Medical Officers (GDMO) | 2319 |
| 2 | Teaching Specialist (T) | 1676 |
| 3 | Non-Teaching Specialist (NT) | 654 |
| 4 | Public Health Specialist (PH) | 104 |
| 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) | Director General of Health Services (DGHS) | Director General of Health Services (DGHS) | Director General of Health Services (DGHS) | Level - 17 |
| Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) | Special Director General of Health Services | Special Director General of Health Services | Special Director General of Health Services | Special Director General of Health Services | Level - 17 |
| Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) | Additional Director General of Health Services | Additional Director General of Health Services | Additional Director General of Health Services | 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.
| 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 | Medical Officer | Medical Officer | Medical Officer | Medical Officer | Senior Medical Officer | Senior Medical Officer | Senior Medical Officer | Senior Medical Officer | Senior Medical Officer | Chief Medical Officer | Chief Medical Officer | Chief Medical Officer | Chief Medical Officer | Chief Medical Officer (NFSG) | Chief Medical Officer (NFSG) | Chief Medical Officer (NFSG) | Chief Medical Officer (NFSG) | Chief Medical Officer (NFSG) | Chief Medical Officer (NFSG) | Chief Medical Officer (NFSG) | | Senior Administrative Grade Level 14 |
| Level/Grade | Level 10 | Level 10 | Level 10 | Level 10 | Level 11 | Level 11 | Level 11 | Level 11 | Level 11 | Level 12 | Level 12 | Level 12 | Level 12 | Level 13 | Level 13 | Level 13 | Level 13 | Level 13 | Level 13 | Level 13 | | Senior Administrative Grade Level 14 |
| Years of Service | | | | | | | | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Senior Administrative Grade Level 14 |
| Specialists | | | | | | | | Grade III | Grade III | Grade II | Grade II | Grade II | Grade II | Grade I | Grade I | Grade I | Grade I | Grade I | Grade I | Grade I | | Senior Administrative Grade Level 14 |

### 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.

### 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.

### 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%.

## 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.