
Students fume as JNTU starts B Pharm course sans PCI nod: 2024-25 students left in limbo; varsity seeks retroactive approval
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B Pharmacy began at the campus college in 2024-25 with an intake of 66 seats.
Varsity officials said they could not apply for approval of the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) last year as the application window closed by the time they got the state's nod to start the course.
"We are trying to get the course ratified from the PCI," said Venkata Narasimha Reddy Guduru, principal, JNTUH University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
He said they have the council's approval for 2025-26. "About a week back, we got approval for the coming academic year. Based on that, we are trying to get the course ratified for the previous year," he added.
Now, as the first year has started and even exams have been conducted, the varsity has to either shift students to a recognised college or get the course ratified at any cost. In fact, officials have already shifted the pharmacy campus to Sultanpur, which has approval from PCI, for the academic year 2025-26.
"Students of 2024-25 batch will continue to suffer as they are the only pharmacy students at the Hyderabad campus right now. Initially, they said it was approved by the executive council. But later, even that turned out to be false," said J Dileep from the JNTUH Student Protection Forum.
A first year student said: "I joined the campus college as it was one of the options available in the counselling. I was under the impression it had all permissions."
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Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Students fume as JNTU starts B Pharm course sans PCI nod: 2024-25 students left in limbo; varsity seeks retroactive approval
HYDERABAD: Not just the Integrated Dual Degree Programmes (IDP), but even the B Pharmacy course at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad (JNTUH), has started without the required approvals. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now B Pharmacy began at the campus college in 2024-25 with an intake of 66 seats. Varsity officials said they could not apply for approval of the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) last year as the application window closed by the time they got the state's nod to start the course. "We are trying to get the course ratified from the PCI," said Venkata Narasimha Reddy Guduru, principal, JNTUH University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences. He said they have the council's approval for 2025-26. "About a week back, we got approval for the coming academic year. Based on that, we are trying to get the course ratified for the previous year," he added. Now, as the first year has started and even exams have been conducted, the varsity has to either shift students to a recognised college or get the course ratified at any cost. In fact, officials have already shifted the pharmacy campus to Sultanpur, which has approval from PCI, for the academic year 2025-26. "Students of 2024-25 batch will continue to suffer as they are the only pharmacy students at the Hyderabad campus right now. Initially, they said it was approved by the executive council. But later, even that turned out to be false," said J Dileep from the JNTUH Student Protection Forum. A first year student said: "I joined the campus college as it was one of the options available in the counselling. I was under the impression it had all permissions."


Hindustan Times
23-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Maharashtra cites poor standards, proposes no new pharmacy colleges for 5 years
Jun 23, 2025 11:02 AM IST Maharashtra's higher and technical education department has raised concerns over poor standards of pharmacy colleges and urged the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to suspend approvals for any new such institutes in the state for the next five years, people aware of the matter said. The move comes amid rising vacancies in pharmacy courses and a dip in education quality. Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil met with Union health minister J P Nadda over the matter. (X) Officials said that the PCI had approved many pharmacy colleges, particularly in low-demand regions, without proper inspection of infrastructure, academic readiness, or demand from local students. They noted that PCI granted permissions without consultation with the state's technical education department, leading to a surplus of institutions with poor facilities and faculty shortages. The state government last year formed a committee of industry experts and academics to review the status of the pharmacy colleges, considering the vacant seats. Officials said the panel found many colleges functioned without adequate laboratories, equipment, libraries, or classroom space. In some institutions, admissions remained far below capacity year after year, while others were unable to meet even basic educational standards. The state's request to PCI came months after Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil met with Union health minister J P Nadda in New Delhi and submitted a 2025–2031 roadmap highlighting how the quality of education had been compromised due to unchecked expansion and lack of oversight. An official said the delegation recommended that PCI impose a blanket restriction on new B Pharm and D Pharm colleges in the state for at least five years and refrain from granting any increase in intake capacity to the existing ones. 'Nadda is said to have responded positively to this suggestion, raising expectations that central action may soon follow.' The official said the department decided to inspect all colleges set up in the last three years to understand the quality of infrastructure and education.


Time of India
22-06-2025
- Time of India
Lens on new pharmacy colleges in Maharashtra over complaints about forged maps, NOCs, occupancy certificates for approvals
Mumbai: Pharmacy colleges established in the state over the last three years have come under scrutiny following complaints about forged documents, including certified maps and occupation certificates for buildings, being submitted for approvals. More than 115 colleges offering B Pharm and nearly 200 offering D Pharm have emerged during this period. Acting on these complaints, state govt has ordered a re-inspection of all such institutions to verify the authenticity of their documents and whether they meet all the requirements. The aim is to contain the mushrooming of colleges in the state and prevent vacancies of seats during admissions. Data from the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) shows that over 30% of seats remained vacant last year in both B Pharm and D Pharm courses in the state. In a recent order, govt stated that several complaints were received by the higher and technical education minister regarding pharmacy, diploma, degree, and postgraduate institutions that were granted approval by submitting bogus documents such as certified maps, no-objection certificates (NOCs), occupancy certificates, and utility certificates to state and central govts. The order directed: "The validity of these documents should be verified with the relevant authorities, and an institution-wise inspection report should be submitted to confirm whether adequate educational facilities are available. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Novi ortopedski sandali za moške poletje 2025. Fiippy KUPITE ZDAJ Undo " The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) gives approval to new institutions once affiliating universities and respective state govts provide them with NOCs. Milind Umekar, president of the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association, a federation of five pharmaceutical associations, highlighted two key reasons behind the rapid increase in pharmacy institutions in Maharashtra. "The demand for pharmacy courses surged after the Covid-19 pandemic, as people began recognising growing opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry, including research, clinical studies, pharmacovigilance, formulation and development, and drug or vaccine manufacturing. India ranks third globally in drug production by volume and is among the top exporters. Secondly, before 2022, the PCI imposed a moratorium on setting up new institutes. Once this was lifted following a court order, several colleges rushed to introduce pharmacy programmes," he said, adding that a comprehensive re-inspection exercise is crucial to ensure all institutions meet PCI norms, including the required number of qualified faculty, infrastructure, and laboratories. A representative from a college management said that in the last three years, many colleges were given NOCs by the respective universities, mainly Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University (BATU) Lonere, without any physical inspection and based on documents submitted by the institutions. "BATU has the highest number of affiliated pharmacy colleges in the state, and most may have come up in the last three years. The university, set up exclusively for technical colleges in the state, faces a severe shortage of manpower, impacting the quality of education in the affiliated institutions," he alleged. A govt official said that officials from the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education and DTE have started carrying out the inspection exercise, adding that no timeline has been provided.