Expressing serious concern over the seat vacancy in Pharmacy courses (diploma and degree), Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI) urged Maharashtra Government not to sanction any new pharmacy college. In the academic year 2023-24, the degree courses witnessed vacancy of 14,362 seats while in diploma course, 6,977 seats remained vacant. The APTI pointed out that last year, 136 colleges of diploma courses and 57 new degree colleges were added. With this addition, the degree pharmacy institutions increased from 396 to 453.

 

While talking to ‘The Hitavada’, President of APTI Dr Milind Umekar said, “The colleges which receive No Objection Certificate from Government, get temporary affiliation from University or Board. They then apply to Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). PCI gives final approval to the colleges, new courses and increased intake. But in the academic year 2023-24, universities, without conducting inspection, provided temporary affiliation to the colleges. The intake capacity of new colleges is 60. But shockingly, in the first affiliation itself these colleges got approval for 100 seats. There are many colleges which don’t even carry the accreditation from National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) and National Board of Accreditation (NBA).”

 

According to APTI, not following the rules led to mushrooming of new pharmacy colleges. Unnecessary creation of new colleges resulted in several seats remaining vacant. The large proportion of vacant seats has had an adverse impact on teachers’ salaries and quality of education. APTI has already given a letter to the Maharashtra’s Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil. “The State can prevent more vacancies and improve Pharma education quality by not permitting new colleges, new courses, increased intake now. If there are no takers for the seats in pharmacy colleges, the unemployment will increase,” Dr Umekar expressed fear.