The four new NIPER-like premier institutes to groom skilled personnel for the pharmaceutical industry are finally set to be inaugurated formally next month at Hyderabd, Patna, Kolkota and Ahmedabad.

The formal opening of the institute at Patna will be held on November 3, to be followed by the inauguration of Kolkota institute on November 5. The centre at Hyderabad would be opened on November 19 and preparations were in full swing at all the three places, sources said.

However, the formal inauguration of the fourth institute at Ahmedabad has been deferred following the announcement of elections to the State Assembly as the code of conduct had already come into effect.

The Centre has also cleared necessary budget support for the new institutes, now coming up at the existing campuses of other institutes. The students have also been inducted for the courses, launched in these institutes, sources said.

The Centre had planned five NIPER-like institutes with a view to bridge the shortfall in the number of skilled hands in the fast growing pharmaceutical industry and allied sectors. An institute would be developed at a total cost of Rs 200 crore each, with separate campus and infrastructure gradually. The first instalment for the total cost of Rs 1000 crore was already released by the Centre and the centres would be run with the support of the private players.

In Hyderabad , the institute will now work with academic support from IICT initially and the campus would be set up later on the 100-acre land owned by the IDPL later. In Kolkota, it would have collaboration with Indian Institute of Chemicals and Biology while Patna Medical College would support the centre in Hajipur. LM Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences is collaborating with the upcoming centre in Ahmedabad.

Four courses are being launched and to begin with in pharmacology, toxicology etc. Later the number of courses will be increased to nine and intake of students would also be enlarged accordingly.

The Centre had promulgated the ordinance for amending the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Act, 1998 to facilitate more such premiere institutions in the country, following widespread demands from different quarters in this regard.