Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 23: Amid rising concerns over deteriorating standards in pharmacy education, Maharashtra's higher and technical education department has urged the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to halt approvals for new pharmacy colleges in the state for the next five years.

Officials revealed that many pharmacy institutes, especially in low-demand areas, were sanctioned by the PCI without proper inspections or consultations with the state. This has led to a surplus of institutions plagued by poor infrastructure, faculty shortages, and a steady decline in academic quality.

A state-appointed panel of experts last year found that several colleges lacked basic facilities like laboratories, libraries, and classrooms. Many institutes recorded persistently low admission numbers, while some failed to meet minimum educational standards.

The issue was raised at the central level when Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil met Union Health Minister J P Nadda earlier this year. Patil submitted a 2025–2031 roadmap highlighting how unchecked expansion had compromised education quality. The minister recommended a complete moratorium on new B Pharm and D Pharm colleges, along with a freeze on intake hikes in existing ones.

Sources said the Union Minister responded positively to the proposal, raising hopes of central action.

The state has also initiated inspections of all pharmacy colleges established in the past three years to assess infrastructure and academic standards.