The chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Prof. Anil D Sahasrabudhe has informed the ‘Stakeholders Workshop for Discussion on AICTE Approval Process 2018-19’ that inspections in the  existing pharmacy colleges will be conducted in future by a joint team of officials both from AICTE and PCI.

Similarly, if any action has to be initiated against any institution, it will be done so after a joint discussion by the two agencies.

Currently, the educational institutions are inspected by AICTE and PCI separately on different occasions and the inspecting officials’ visit to the colleges often creates problems for the students, academicians and for the classes. There were instances of boycott of classes and dharnas by students against surprise inspections by PCI officials. This kind of problems will be solved from next year and a smooth atmosphere for education will be created in all institutions by the interference of the all India technical education regulator.

According to sources from pharmacy colleges, every year the AICTE is conducting their inspection during the period from December to January in order to ensure whether these institutions comply regulatory norms of the council to continue affiliation with it. Whereas, the Pharmacy Council of India sends their officials to the institutions generally in the month of June. PCI is also conducting the same inspections already held by AICTE.

Sources from colleges allege that this dual control of the two agencies put the institutions into troubles most often. It not only creates so many hindrances for administration and conduct of classes, but also causes huge financial commitments to the colleges. AICTE received so many complaints from students, teachers and parents with regard to dual control in pharmacy institutions. AICTE is the education regulator for the pharmacy courses D Pharm, B Pharm and M Pharm conducted by PCI.

Prof. Sahasrabudhe said in the meeting that AICTE had held detailed discussion with PCI on this burning issue, and at last it has agreed for a settlement for the regulatory discord existing between them for years. So, in future inspections in all the pharmacy colleges will be conducted only jointly by AICTE and PCI.

Vice-chancellors of technical universities from all the states, state directors of technical educations, representatives from colleges of engineering, architecture, management and pharmacy and experts in pharmacy education attended the workshop which was held at the headquarters of AICTE in New Delhi last week.