Demokaretic Front, Chandigarh – 8th Feb :
About 4000 pharmacy colleges in the country are in a tizzy after the Pharmacy Council of India, New Delhi increased the professional regulatory charge by 4 to 5 times and asked for 1 to 5 crore security deposit per college
Dr. Anshu Kataria, President, Federation of Self Financing Technical Institutions, All India (FSFTI) and Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA) said that this year the Pharmacy Council of India has asked for a security deposit of around 1 to 5 crores from each pharma college , which is very surprising because the Medical Council of India; Dental Council of India, India; All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE); Indian Nursing Council (INC); too don’t ask for such high security deposit . Even the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) also don’t ask for such hefty security.
Kataria further said that all these colleges were earlier established by depositing Rs 15 lakh to AICTE, New Delhi and that amount is also returned by AICTE on completion of 10 years. But according to the new rules of PCI, not only new but also existing colleges will have to deposit Rs 1 to 5 crore. This will put the entire burden on the students and pharma education will be out of reach of the students.
Jaipal Reddy, President, Telangana Pharmacy Association said that PCI has revised the fees for B.Pharma from 1.00 lakh to 4.00 lakh and for D.Pharma from 0.5 lakh to 2.00 lakh. Now the colleges will have to pay around Rs 25 to 26 lakhs, which was only Rs 3.5 lakhs earlier.
KVK Rao, Secretary General, FSFTI, said that the delegation of FSFTI led by Dr. Anshu Kataria had a meeting with Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Government of India last month and the delegation met him and requested to intervene at the earliest and take up the matter.
Dr. CP Gupta, President, Pharmacy Colleges Association of Haryana and Dr. Sachindra, General Secretary, Karnataka Pharmacy Colleges Association said that if we do not get justice, we will have to approach the Hon’ble High Court as neither the colleges can pay such a huge amount Nor will the students be able to bear its burden.
