Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) is a one of the Boards constituted under the statute the Central Boards of Revenue Act, 1963 (54 of 1963) and is subordinate to the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. It deals mainly with the tasks of formulation and implementation of policy concerning to the levy and collection of Customs duties and Central Excise duties and Service tax, prevention of smuggling and administration of matters relating to Customs, Central Excise, Service Tax and Narcotics to the extent under CBEC's purview. The Board is the administrative authority for its subordinate organizations, including Custom Houses, Central Excise Commissionerates and the Central Revenues Control Laboratory.

The CBEC is headed by a Chairman and has 6 members in addition to the Chairman. In the performance of its administrative and executive functions, the CBEC is assisted by Chief Commissioners and Director Generals. The Commissioners working under the Chief Commissioner’s supervision also discharge executive functions.

Shri B.N. Banerji was the first Chairman of the Central Board of Excise and Customs - 1964-67. Shri Banerji was the Chairman of the then Board of Revenue which covered both direct and indirect taxes. When the combined Board was later replaced by two Boards, the CBDT and the CBEC, he continued to be the first Chairman of the CBEC. Shri Banerji was from the Imperial Customs Service of the British era and was credited with encyclopaedic knowledge, going way beyond the revenue matters. Report of the U.S. Delegation to the Eighteenth Session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Washington, June 28, 1963 shows that Shri B.N. Banerji was Indian Representative to the 18th Session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. The United Kingdom representative nominated Shri B.N. Banerji as Second Vice-Chairman. His nomination was supported by the representatives of the United States and many other countries (Ref: http://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1961-63v25/d345 ).

B.N. Banerji Memorial Lecture - By Shri Parthasarathi Shome

Shri Satish Kumar Goel, who has taken over as the Chairman of the Central Board of Excise & Customs on the 1st of November, 2011, a Member of the CBEC from 30th September 2009, is an officer of the 1975 Batch of Indian Revenue Service Customs & Central Excise. Born on the 24th July, 1952, he has a masters (MA) and an LLB degree. He has worked in various capacities in the Department and shouldered responsibility in important and sensitive places. He was Director General, Vigilance and Chief Vigilance Officer, CBEC, before his selection as Member, CBEC in 2009. He was conferred with President's Award for Specially Distinguished Services in 1991.

Message immediately after taking over

Message on the eve of his retirement

Ms. Praveen Mahajan, the first lady to head the CBEC, joined Indian Revenue Service in 1976 and has held many important assignments in the department including Member (P & V) from 1st August, 2011, before the present assignment. She has also worked in Customs Cooperation Council at Brussels, Director General (Export Promotion), Additional Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, New Delhi, Commissioner, Customs & Central Excise, Jaipur & Bhopal, et al. For her distinguished record of service she has been conferred with the Presidential Award.

She did her Masters in History from Punjab University in April, 1975 and Masters in English from Punjab University in April, 1978. She holds a Diploma in 'International Economic Relations' from the International Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), Paris.

Her Interests include literature and music. She is a keen sportsperson and plays Tennis, Badminton and loves Horse riding. She won the bronze medal in shooting at the National Level. She represented her college & university in Tennis and Badminton. She has travelled many parts of the world and loves to find new places to experience and explore