JAMMU, Jul 8: The Jammu and Kashmir PCI College Association on Wednesday urged the Union Territory administration to address key regulatory and policy issues affecting pharmacy education, stating that immediate corrective measures are required to safeguard the interests of pharmacy institutions and students.
Addressing a press conference at the Press Club Jammu, Association president Sushil Sudan highlighted what he termed as major concerns confronting the pharmacy education sector in Jammu and Kashmir. He appealed to the government to intervene promptly and implement necessary reforms.
Sudan’s first demand pertained to the authority responsible for conducting examinations for pharmacy courses. He said that, in accordance with Section 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948, the responsibility for conducting pharmacy examinations should rest with the Jammu and Kashmir State Pharmacy Council rather than the State Nursing Council, which currently conducts the examinations.
He maintained that the existing arrangement is contrary to the provisions of the Pharmacy Act. Sudan informed that the State Pharmacy Council has already submitted representations to the Jammu and Kashmir Government on two occasions and has demonstrated its preparedness and capability to conduct pharmacy examinations, having the necessary infrastructure and administrative resources in place.
Raising another significant issue, Sudan expressed concern over the domiciliary restrictions imposed after the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He said that students from Leh and Ladakh are no longer eligible to seek admission in pharmacy and other professional courses in Jammu and Kashmir due to domicile requirements.
According to Sudan, this policy has placed an unfair burden on students from Ladakh, forcing them to pursue higher education in distant states, resulting in increased financial expenditure, social difficulties and emotional stress for families. He urged the government to review the policy and restore educational access for students from Ladakh in the larger interest of regional educational cooperation.
Sudan also highlighted the difficulties faced by children of Central Government employees, including personnel serving in the Armed Forces, CRPF, BSF and other Central Armed Police Forces posted in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that many such students are denied admission to Nursing and Pharmacy courses solely because they do not possess domicile certificates of the Union Territory.
Describing the restriction as discriminatory, Sudan said that these families have served the nation in different capacities and should not face barriers in accessing higher education for their children. He argued that the continuation of the domiciliary bar is inconsistent with the objective of ensuring greater integration and equal opportunities following the constitutional changes of 2019.
Appealing to the administration, Sudan urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to give due consideration to the Association’s demands and resolve the issues at the earliest in the interest of students, educational institutions and the pharmacy profession.
Among those present during the press conference were Gourav Raina, Aman Modi, Sidharth Gupta, Pranav Sharma, Sukhpreet Singh, Dr. Duraiswamy Basvan, Abdul Rashid Malik and Dr. Bilal Ahmed Zargar.