The Maharashtra Registered Pharmacists Association (MRPA) has urged the state government to make pharmacy graduates eligible for Maharashtra forest service examination to be conducted by State Public Service Commission (MPSC).

As of now, pharmacy course is not included in academic qualification of candidates taking up Maharashtra Forest Service examination. Students having bachelor's degree in botany, chemistry, geology, forestry, statics, mathematics, veterinary science, environmental science etc can appear for the exam. Apart from this, those having engineering degree can also take up the exam. Pharmacy graduates who study subjects pertaining to forestry are not yet eligible for the forest service examination.

MRPA president Kailash Tandale in a letter to Maharashtra Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar stated that B Pharmacy course should be incorporated in education qualification of candidates appearing for Maharashtra forest service examination.

Engineering students who have nothing to do with forestry are eligible to take part in Maharashtra forest service examination but pharmacy graduates who study environmental science, pharmacognosy, chemistry, mathematics in the course spanning over four years are not eligible to take up the examination held by MSPC to fill vacancies of forest conservator and forest ranger, he said.

Tandale appealed to the minister to ensure that B Pharm becomes one of the eligibility criteria for state Forest Service examination.  Maharashtra has 195 institutes offering D.Pharm course and 152 colleges offering B Pharm. Around 20,000 pharmacists pass out every year in the state. MPSC has issued the notification for Maharashtra MPSC Forest Service (Pre) Examination 2018. The Commission has decided to conduct the MPSC Forest Service Examination 2018 to fill five vacancies of Assistant Forest Conservator [Group A].

Besides this, MRPA president has also approached Union government seeking inclusion of B Pharm in eligibility criteria of the candidates aspiring to take Indian Forest Service Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission. The IFS exam is conducted by UPSC for the recruitment officers at All India level for the scientific management of forests of the central government.