The pharmacy education in India primarily has a three tier system,
though all come under higher education domain based on entry level
qualifications. The Diploma in Pharmacy, Bachelor of Pharmacy, Master of
Pharmacy and recently introduced Doctor of Pharmacy are the primary
programmes. These programmes are regulated by different statutory bodies
for different purposes and to different extent. The Diploma in Pharmacy
and Doctor of Pharmacy programmes are framed and regulated by Pharmacy
Council of India. Bachelor of Pharmacy and Master of Pharmacy are
regulated by All India Council for Technical Education. Bachelor of
Pharmacy comes under purview of Pharmacy Council of India for the
purpose of registration and thus the programme requires approval from
the Pharmacy Council. Diploma in Pharmacy is affiliated usually to State
Boards for conducting examinations and awarding degree while all other
programmes are affiliated to universities for the same purpose. Besides
the above, there are Master of Sciences programmes too offered by the
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER). The
NIPER is autonomous and does not come under any regulations except the
NIPER Act and works under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.
The
successes of these programmes are mainly dependent on the quality of
teachers available to train the students. From time to time stress has
been given on attracting good talents to educations. Accordingly over
time the service conditions of teachers in the higher education has been
upgraded and made equivalent with other similar jobs requiring similar
qualifications in government sectors. The Government of India
implemented the sixth pay commission report benefiting all section of
its employees and pensioners with effect from 01.01.2006. On the similar
lines, University Grants Commission (UGC) too appointed UGC pay review
committee under the chairmanship of Prof. GK Chadha. Unlike previous
time (pay revision based on fifth pay commission), this time there was
only one commission set up by UGC. All India Council for Technical
Education (AICTE) did not appoint separate committee. Based on the
report of Chadha Committee’s recommendations and demands of teachers
association, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) on its own
wisdom announced the implementation of revised UGC pay scale for all
section of college and university teachers with effect from 01.01.2006.
The scheme of revised pay is implemented in full in all central
universities and colleges. Education being in the concurrent list, the
implementation of revised pay depends on individual state governments.
Many of the state governments have started implementing the schemes
though often with slight modifications like Tamil Nadu Government
implemented the revised scale with effect from 01.01.2006 notionally but
financially from 01.01.2007 (Many of the state governments have started
implementing the schemes, though often with slight modifications like
Tamil Nadu Government implemented the revised scale with effect from
01.01.2006 notionally but financially from 01.01.2007). Still there are
state governments like Jharkhand and Manipur which are yet to implement
the new revised pay for college and university teachers.
UGC
new regulations
UGC finally published the new regulations, as a
part of sixth pay revision, on minimum qualifications for appointment of
teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges on 28th June
2010. This includes pharmacy education too. The previous designations of
teachers have been re-designated as: Lecturer as assistant professor,
Reader as associate professor. The designation of professor remains
same.
The below mentioned table gives the detailed requirements
for appointment as teachers in pharmacy:
*Significant professional work equivalent to Ph.D. would be
decided on the unanimous recommendation of three member committee of
experts appointed by the vice chancellor.
The revised pay scales
are: Assistant professor – pay band of Rs. 15,600-39,100 with academic
grade pay (AGP) of Rs. 6,000; Associate professor – Pay band of Rs.
37,400- 67,000 with an AGP of Rs. 9,000; Professor – Pay band of Rs.
37,000– 67,000 with AGP of Rs. 10,000 (the directly recruited professor
will have a minimum of pay at Rs. 43,000 in the pay scale with
applicable AGP of Rs. 10,000). Considering the present Dearness
Allowance rate (45%) of Central government, the minimum salary of
assistant professor is Rs. 31,320, that of associate professor is Rs.
67,280 and that of professor is Rs. 68, 730.
The revised
regulation has eliminated many anomalies existed earlier and now the
qualifications for pharmacy teachers are on par with engineering
teachers. The confusion in designations in different states or
universities has been eliminated as they are now rationalised into just
three cadres: Assistant professor, Associate professor and professor.
The new regulation and pay make the teaching in pharmacy as an exciting
career. But as most of the pharmacy colleges are in private sectors, the
implementation of new regulations especially revision of pay is a
question. However, the insistence of regulatory bodies likes Pharmacy
Council of India (PCI) and All India Council for Technical Education
(AICTE) and persuasion of Association of Pharmacy Teachers of India
(APTI) would go in a long way helping the pharmacy teachers receiving
the new benefit.
(Authors are professors, Division of Pharmacy
Practice, Department of Pharmacy, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar
608 002)