Delay in admissions leave pharmacy aspirants in the lurch

Mumbai: The Common Entrance Test (CET) cell has not released the admission schedule for pharmacy colleges in the state despite the passage of over four months since the declaration of class 12 and CET results. The delay, stemming from the ongoing approval of colleges by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), has affected thousands of aspiring pharmacists and forced colleges to brace for a shortened academic year.

“This delay is a loss for both students and colleges. We are requesting the government to start admissions as soon as possible,” said Dr Milind Umekar, president, Association for Pharmaceutical Teachers of India (APTI). The association has urged the CET cell to begin the admission process for colleges and courses that have already been approved, he added.

While delays in admission owing to PCI’s yearly approvals have been a common feature in recent years, the state higher and technical education department in August wrote to the council, emphasising its detrimental impact on academic sessions. In its letter, the department urged the regulator to expedite approvals for both new and existing programmes.

No student has been admitted to pharmacy programmes in the state yet, be it at the diploma, bachelor’s or master’s levels. The delay is especially apparent when compared with other professional courses such as engineering and management, for which the admission process is nearly over.

The All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), which oversees engineering and management colleges, has set September 15 as the deadline for completing admissions. PCI, on the other hand, has extended the deadline for approving colleges and courses till November 30.

In its communication with the PCI, the state government has highlighted that the academic year, which typically starts in July and concludes in May/ June, is now in jeopardy and students are likely to miss several months of crucial coursework.

“The delay will particularly affect degree programmes that follow a semester pattern,” said an official from the directorate of technical education (DTE). Diploma courses may be less impacted due to their annual structure, the official added.

Moreover, the state lacks consolidated information on how many new and ongoing pharmacy courses have received approval since the PCI does not have a centralised information management system (IMS). Some pharmacy institutes have even filed petitions challenging the need for yearly approval, advocating instead for a one-time approval system.

The CET cell has started the registration process for pharmacy colleges on its portal, though the admission process has been kept in abeyance till approvals are in place.