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." 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.
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