In spite of repeated demands from students, teachers and parents, the state government has so far refused to increase the student-intake for B Pharm course in  government pharmacy colleges at Alappuzha and Kozhikodu, giving advantage to the private pharmacy institutions.

Out of the total 36 pharmacy education institutions in Kerala, four are in the government sector, but these government owned institutions apparently do not encourage or support education in pharmacy, it is learnt from information availed from government sources.
 
Students and parents allege that under the pretext of policy matters, government is indirectly supporting private education sector and depriving the opportunities of brilliant students who want to pursue pharmacy courses.
 
As per approval norms of the PCI and the AICTE, a pharmacy college can enroll maximum 60 students for the degree course in pharmacy (B Pharm). But, the health department of the government in Kerala does not want to increase the student-intake in the two government pharmacy colleges working at Alappuzha and at Kozhikodu, where the enrollment has been limited to 20 each. Whereas, in the institutions at Thiruvananthapuram and at Kottayam, admissions have been provided to 60 students each.
 
Because of shortfall in the enrollment of students at Kozhikodu and Alappuzha pharmacy colleges, which are attached to the medical colleges there, chances for 80 students to do the course in government colleges become lapse every year. A student who gains admission in a private institution has to pay Rs. 1 lakh and Rs. 50,000 each year towards course fee. If government increases the intake, a student can complete the four year course with an amount of Rs. 40,000 only, for all the semesters altogether. In a private institution, while completing his course, a student needs to spend more than Rs. 6 lakh.
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In addition to this, a government institution which is running B Pharm course requires a faculty strength of 16. Huge amount of money is spent every month towards salary by the government, but the good resources cannot be utilized fully for a big number of students. “All the teachers in the government colleges are highly qualified and efficient, and they are earning good salary, so that they should teach as many students as they can. But government is not thinking this way”, said a parent of a student in Alappuzha.

When contacted, Director of Medical Education Dr. A. Ramlabeevi said as a policy matter government has decided not to increase the student intake in the two pharmacy colleges in Alappuzha and at Kozhikodu because the number of pharmacy graduates in Kerala is more than enough.  So, until next two years the number will not be increased.

Dr. J Joyamma, Head of Department of Pharmacy at Alappuzha pharmacy college, said very poor infrastructure facility is existed at her institution in Alappuzha, so it is difficult for the college to admit more students. The college has 20 teaching faculties, and it received Rs. 2 crore from central pool for upgrading courses. To a question the HoD said they do not want to increase the student strength as the present classroom cannot accommodate students more than 20.
 
In the government pharmacy college at Kozhikodu, admission is given to 20 students for the degree course and ten each for two PG programs. For diploma course, the enrollment is 60. Students, teachers and parents have been demanding the government to increase the student strength for B Pharm. But, due to the apathy of the authorities, students have to seek admission in private colleges by giving lakhs of rupees for fees.