Even as the department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) has decided to approach the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for recognition of the controversial MS programme in Pharmacy, hundreds of aggrieved students are exploring the possibility of getting a legal intervention in the matter to resolve the issue once for ever.

As the stalemate continues over the issue created by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI)'s recent decision not to recognize the MS programme in Industrial Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Analysis & Quality Control, being conducted by premier institutions including NIPERs in the country, hundreds of affected students are seriously contemplating to move the apex court in the country to get a permanent solution to the issue. These students, who have the support of their institutions including NIPERs, have started a signature drive to evolve consensus on moving the supreme court, sources close to the development said.

Meanwhile, the agitated students of all the NIPERS in the country have started a silent strike on February 17 to put pressure on the authorities to resolve the issue. From the silent strike, the students will move on to shouting strike and then start demonstrations in front of the NIPERS, some students said.

However, sources said that if the DoP successfully finds a way out by getting the required recognition from the AICTE, then the students may not move court as the AICTE has an overriding powers over PCI in matters related to the post-graduate technical courses in the country.

The controversy over the MS programme began in the country when the PCI recently announced that these MS programmes are not approved by the PCI either for the purpose of registration as a pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act to practice the profession or any other purpose like teaching in approved pharmacy institutions. The PCI's announcement had put paid to the hopes of thousands of students who were hopeful of pursuing teaching profession in pharmacy. The PCI action in this regard was based on the ground that there is no mandatory infrastructure in these institutions to conduct the MS programmes.

Though the NIPERs have reacted sharply on this charge by denying these allegations, the students are having a tough time as they the pharmacy colleges are following the diktats of the PCI.