In today's era of Globalization and India going to implement TRIPS just after a year, there is a strong emphasis and thrust needed for Research & Development and Technological Innovations, says Dr Patangrao S Kadam, Patron to the 54th IPC and also Minister of Industries, government of Maharashtra, in an interview. Excerpts:

Comment on the attempts and achievements of IPC.
The IPC was organized for the first time in December 1948 at Calcutta in an attempt to provide a common national platform to Indian pharmacists to come together and discuss various issues pertaining to the profession.

Indian pharmacists working in various capacities in Industry, Academia, Research, Trade & Service sectors like hospitals come together and take-up several issues of national and international significance, interact with each other and benefit from the experience and lectures by eminent personalities from the country and aboard.

The achievements are much more and can be judged by the fact that the Congress is getting more and more acclaim and success year after year for over 54 years. Today it has an international recognition, which is one of its biggest achievements. The IPC has definitely contributed a lot in the upliftment of the profession and its status in society.

As a patron of the 54th IPC how do you look at the success of this event?
As the Patron I definitely have the opportunity to closely follow the progress from time to time. The undaunted perseverance, zeal and boundless enthusiasm with which the LOC members are working under the able guidance of Dr Shivajirao Kadam, Chairman, LOC and Dr M D Burande, Organizing Secretary, LOC for the past 7-8 months leave no doubts in my mind about the overwhelming success this IPC is going to achieve. The record number of delegate registrations as well as scientific abstracts received, impeccable list of international and national speakers, the unique theme and involvement of community pharmacists on such a large scale for the first timein the history of IPC, allays all apprehension and points singularly to the grand success this Congress has in the offing.

Since Maharashtra is the host state for IPC this time, what is the message of the Government of Maharashtra to be delivered to the pharmacy fraternity?
The State of Maharashtra, which is on the forefront of Indian Industry and economy, has a major share of the country''s drugs and pharmaceuticals sector, which is one of the lifebloods for the progress and economy of the country.

The government of Maharashtra is aware of this as well as the significance of the 54th IPC. This crucial event is a milestone especially in context of today''s era of globalization and with India going to enter the WTO fold there is a strong emphasis and thrust needed for R& D and technological innovations. The Government of Maharashtra has always given impetus to these crucial factors. I have a special Five-Point Programme for the pharma industry in and around Pune, and I feel the Inaugural day of the 54th IPC will be the most appropriate occasion to announce it on the behalf of the government of Maharashtra.

What are your suggestions to improve pharmacy education and the profession in India?
Pharmacy Education in India will have to gear up and transform itself as one of the core service sectors and gear up to face global competition. It will have to become more practical and industrially oriented with stringent quality standards and get itself recognition.

The educational institutes will have to enrich their faculty through QIPs and international exposures on regular basis. The infrastructure and facilities cannot be compromised at any cost.

The institutions will have to come out of their shell and collaborate and interact with the industries in various areas in the interest of progress of the nation.

Biotechnology is the theme of the IPC this time. How would you corroborate the coincidence of this theme selection and the recent initiatives of Maharashtra in the area of biotechnology?
The theme is indeed very appropriate, as one cannot afford to overlook the tremendous exponential progress biotechnology has harnessed in the past one decade. Today we are on the verge of witnessing sweeping changes in the field of pharmacy and medicine biotechnology.

This is not a mere coincidence in any way but I wish to say that it highlights the level of awareness, high degree of concern and alertness of the government to identify the need of the hour.