New Delhi: The Centre’s latest attempt to fill a vacant Member post in the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has reportedly failed to yield a result, with the selection panel unable to reach a consensus on any of the five shortlisted senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers.
The search panel met on July 28 to interview the same five officers who had been considered earlier for the Board-level position. However, according to sources, the panel did not recommend any candidate for appointment.
With no consensus emerging, the panel has reportedly decided to club the standalone vacancy with other CBIC Board-level vacancies expected to arise by the end of 2026.
CBIC Member Post Vacant Since Earlier This Year
The Member-level position was originally advertised by the government in the first week of February 2026.
The post is among the senior-most positions in the CBIC, which functions under the Department of Revenue in the Ministry of Finance and is responsible for administering India’s indirect tax and customs framework.
The latest development means the vacancy will remain unfilled for the time being, with the selection process effectively being pushed to a larger exercise later this year.
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Five Senior IRS Officers Were in the Fray
The selection panel considered five senior-most officers belonging to the 1990 and 1991 batches of IRS (Customs & Indirect Taxes).
The officers considered for the position were:
- Raj Kumar (IRS: 1990)
- Valte Vungzamuan (IRS: 1990)
- Prachi Saroop (IRS: 1991)
- Rimjhim Prasad (IRS: 1991)
- Rajesh Jindal (IRS: 1991)
The same group of officers had earlier been examined by the government when it initiated the process to fill three Board-level positions.
However, while appointments were eventually finalised for two of those posts, the third vacancy was kept pending.
Same Cohort Considered Again
The July 28 meeting was therefore not an entirely new selection exercise. The five officers had already been part of the earlier consideration for CBIC’s Board-level vacancies.
The latest search panel was tasked with taking a decision on the remaining standalone Member vacancy.
However, sources said the panel again failed to arrive at a consensus on a candidate.
Instead of continuing with the standalone selection process, the panel has reportedly decided to combine the vacancy with other Board-level positions expected to become available towards the end of the year.
CBIC to Continue With Partial Board
The decision to defer the appointment means that the CBIC will continue to function with a partially constituted Board for now.
The CBIC Board comprises senior Members who oversee various tax and customs functions, and vacancies at this level can have implications for the distribution of responsibilities among the existing Members.
With additional vacancies expected later in the year, the government appears set to undertake a consolidated selection exercise rather than make an immediate appointment to the existing vacancy.
Appointment Decision Likely Later This Year
The latest development effectively puts the appointment process on hold until the next round of Board-level vacancies materialises.
The five officers who were interviewed on July 28 could potentially be considered again as part of the expanded exercise, although the final composition of the shortlist and the eventual recommendations would depend on the selection process undertaken at that stage.
For now, however, the CBIC Member post remains vacant, after the latest selection attempt failed to produce a recommendation.
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