Even as hundreds of MS (Pharmacy) students of all the NIPERs in the country are on a silent strike to put pressure on the authorities to resolve the issues arising out of the PCI's recent decision not to recognize the MS programme in Industrial Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Analysis & Quality Control, the department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) has called a meeting on March 2 to discuss the issue in threadbare.

Faced with the prospect of the aggrieved students moving Supreme Court on the issue, the DoP is engaged in finding a solution to the issue which was triggered by the PCI's recent announcement that the 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 Pharmacy Council of India (PCI)'s announcement had dashed 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.

The meeting called by the DoP on March 2 will discuss various options for the department like approaching the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for recognition of the controversial MS programme in Pharmacy.

Meanwhile, the students, who have the support of their institutions including NIPERS, have started a signature drive to evolve consensus on moving the supreme court if the DoP does not find a way out by getting the required recognition from the AICTE.

The students have already 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 a slogan shouting strike and then start demonstrations in front of the NIPERS.