The state government of Telangana has cancelled the affiliations of 85 pharmacy colleges for violating AICTE norms. In a recently conducted inspection by Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), it is found that out of 146 pharmacy colleges in the state only 61 colleges were fit for renewal of affiliation while 85 others were found grossly violating the norms of All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE).

In the inspections, the team of officials from JNTU found that almost all the 85 pharmacy colleges were not having adequate qualified faculty, no proper lab facilities, no toilets, no staff rooms, no proper books in the library, no conference halls etc. Only 61 colleges were found adhering to all the stipulated norms and they were renewed affiliation for the current academic year and allowed to participate in the first phase web counselling, while the remaining were barred.

With this decision of the state government, all the 85 pharmacy colleges in the state are left out of in the first phase of ‘Eamcet’ counselling for fresh intake of admission for the academic year 2014-15.

Having learned this, the consortium of professional colleges association approached the high court for interim relief and seeking stay on the government’s orders. The petitioner colleges termed the action of the JNTU as arbitrary. They argued that disaffiliating the pharmacy colleges on the ground of lack of basic amenities in accordance with the norms of the varsity as well as the state government was unjust as they were not given enough time to install the same. The counsels representing these colleges urged the court to direct the authorities to include them in the web counselling as they would be put to irreparable losses otherwise. The action of the varsity in disaffiliating the colleges without giving an opportunity to them was illegal.

However justice A Rajasheker Reddy who heard the petitioners denied to grant the stay and posted the final hearing on Monday. When contacted N. Gautam Rao, Chairman of Telangana Professional Colleges Association,  said, “Today the High Court had given a favourable verdict in favour of colleges and has allowed us to participate in the second phase counselling, provided we fulfil the requirements as stipulated by the AICTE norms. We have agreed for this and would take all the necessary steps to fullfill the norms at the earliest by second phase counselling.”

If the colleges do not fullfill the norms by the beginning of second phase counselling, they will have zero admissions and 9000 pharmacy seats will go waste for the present academic year.

One has to wait and see as to what decision will the state government will take as the high court order clearly mentions that only those colleges full filling the norms will be included in the counselling by next phase. In view of this situation all the 85 pharmacy colleges will either have to full fill the norms or exit from admission process, opined a source from JNTU.