Since the establishment of IPA, it used to arrange the annual conference at various centres in India. These conferences used to be held in the same centre as the annual sessions at the Indian Science Congress. The Conferences were held for three to five days and consisted of inauguration, special symposia and research papers in different fields of Pharmacy, (all the sessions being held simultaneously). The Conference concluded with the open general session where special resolutions affecting the profession and industry were passed. In principle, even the Indian Pharmaceutical Congress Association (IPCA) adopted the same programme and this continues till today. The newly added features have been the inclusion of memorial orations and plenary lectures by eminent professionals in the field.

The first All India Pharmaceutical Conference was held at the Benares Hindu University on January 3-4, 1941.The Second session was held at Baroda, on January 2-4, 1942.

The Third Conference was held at the Benares Hindu University on January 8-9, 1943. The Fourth Session was held at Calcutta from April 8-13, 1944.

The Fifth meet was held in Bombay on December 21-23, 1944.The Sixth Session
was held at Banglore from January 3-5, 1946 under the Presidentship of Sir S S Bhatnagar.

The Seventh Conference was held in Delhi on January 3-5, 1947. DrJ N Ray opened the conference. Prof M L Schroff was the president of the conference.

The Eighth Conference was held in Patna from January 3-5, 1948.The Ninth meet was held in Allahabad in January 1949.

The Tenth All India Conference was held in Poona from January 2-5, 1950. The Eleventh session was held at Bangalore from December 31, 1950 to January 3, 1951. The conference was inaugurated by H C Dassappa, Finance Minister, Mysore. Sir Edward Mellanby was the president of the conference.

The Twelfth session was held at Calcutta from December 31, 1951 to January 2, 1952. The Conference was inaugurated by Dr H C Mukherji, Governor, West Bengal. Dr B N Ghosh was the conference President.

The IPA and IPCA held joint conferences in Dec. 1952 and Dec. 1953. For the IPA, these were the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Conferences and for the I.P.C.A,. the Fifth and the Sixth. Both were highly successful.

After this, the IPA has not organised any more annual conferences but has left the field to IPCA as per the understanding reached in Delhi on March 2, 1954-with P M Nabar as the "arbitrator". K C Chatterjee (KC), Dr H R Nanji, B. V Patel, Prof G P Srivaxtava, Prof M L Schroff, Prof. Khorana, A. N. Lazarus and S. V. Lal attended. A note on the scope of IPA and IPCA was drawn up by KC and accepted by all. In December 1954, the Conference was a joint one, styled as the Seventh Pharmaceutical Conference. Once again Prof Schroff, and Prof G P Srivastava rejoined the I.P.A. and amity prevailed again.

(Extracted from IPA's Pharma Times)