Finding several pharmacy colleges in Kerala flouting its rules in running the colleges, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has reduced the intake limit of students into these pharmacy colleges in the state by nearly half.

The AICTE action will have a far-reaching affect in the pharmacy education in the state as the state government has already released the number of intake of the students in the prospectus. Now the AICTE has reduced the number of students intake from the state government approved limit. Moreover, the entrance exams are also going on in Kerala, sources said.

The AICTE, in its status of approval for AICTE approved pharmacy institutions for the academic session 2007-08, has reduced the number of student's intake into pharmacy colleges drastically. The council has put iron hand in this regard over 5 colleges in Kerala out of the nearly 27 colleges.

Sources said, that the AICTE's action comes in the wake of the fact that the pharmacy colleges in Kerala were not following the norms prescribed by the AICTE in running an institution. It is learnt that many colleges are being run in the state without qualified teachers or principals. And this was having an adverse affect on the pharmacy education system in the state.

There are no senior level faculty in many colleges. And some of the faculty members are simply diploma holders, which is against the AICTE norms. And few of the colleges even do not have teaching staff, only qualified principals are there, sources said.

As per AICTE norms, a lecturer is supposed to have first class in Masters Degree in appropriate branches of specialization. The assistant professor is supposed to have a PhD with first class in Masters or B Pharm or have 2 years experience or a first class Masters degree and five years teaching experience. Whereas, the professors were supposed to have a Ph D with 10 years experience or equivalent qualification. The principal is also supposed to have qualifications similar to that of the professors.

But on finding that many colleges were not following its norms, the AICTE jumped into action on the pharmacy colleges. Similar, action will be taken against several other colleges in the state in the near future as several other colleges are also violating the rules, sources said.