Pharmacy Council of India’s move to liberate pharmacy courses like B Pharm, M Pharm and Pharm D from the control of AICTE may put academic institutions, students and teachers into serious trouble, according to veteran academicians in the field.
 
If the degree level courses are completely freed from AICTE control, no registered institution in the country will get financial assistance from the All India Council for Technical Education. Besides, stipends to students, grants for teachers for research activities and all other incentives will come to a halt, according to Prof Dr K G Revikumar, an expert in pharmacy education and special invitee to the AICTE academic committee.

From the beginning of pharmacy education in India, the degree courses were regulated by AICTE and the diploma was under the control of the PCI. But, D Pharm examination was conducted by the state education board, he added.
 
“PCI is going ahead with its pressure on the union government for absolute power for regulation of pharmacy education. This move of the PCI will put the institutions, students and teachers altogether into trouble. They (PCI) cannot bring the control of pharmacy colleges under their control because PCI’s primary role is to regulate the profession and practice of pharmacy only. All institutions are getting grants form AICTE. Education regulation is vested with the government’s agency, AICTE which has a separate board to control pharmacy education. Dr. Suresh Bhojraj was once the chairman of the AICTE’s pharmacy education board”, said Dr KGR.

AICTE is the only professional council in India whose chairman, vice-chairman, member secretary and other officers in power are appointed by the government. Other councils are concerned,  their office-bearers are elected by their own members. The members of these councils are in three categories, elected members, nominated members and ex-officio members.  Either the MCI or the NCI or the DCI does get any grant from the government. They are all operating on self generated funds.  AICTE is the only council which is operating under the direct control of the government and getting funds from it.
 
The experts point out that AICTE was constituted on 30th November 1945 based on a resolution passed by the government of India, whereas, the PCI was formed  in March  1948 based on Section 3 of the Pharmacy Act 1948 framed by the British rulers during pre-independence period. Both the councils were constituted during British rule, but the  AICTE Act and other professional council acts were framed by post independent governments. The AICTE Act was framed in 1987.

They further said, for independent control over university level pharmacy education together with pharmacy practice regulations, the country needs a separate Indian Pharmacy Council Act, for which the PCI should represent the government. MCI, NCI and DCI are functioning under respective council acts, only the PCI lacks such an act.
 
An academic expert in Chennai has responded that, “from the beginning of pharmacy education, the university level courses were controlled by the AICTE, a fully government controlled agency under the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD). D. Pharm was under the control of the PCI, but the examination is conducted by the respective educational boards. As long as AICTE Act is there, PCI cannot make a claim of absolute control over degree courses in pharmacy education as per law”.