New Delhi, Sep 03, 2010: Mr Mukul Joshi has taken over as took as the new Secretary of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Govt. of India. He assumed charge on Sep 01, 2010.

Mr Joshi is a 1975 batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service of Punjab cadre. Earlier, he was the Secretary of Inter-State Council Secretariat in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Mr Joshi   succeeds  Mr Ashok Kumar, a 1974 batch IAS office, retired on August 31. Mr Ashok Kumar was heading the DoP since it was established in July 2008. Prior to that he was Chairman of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), an organization of Government of India established interalia to fix and revise the prices of controlled bulk drugs.