JAMMU, Jul 30: The J&K PCI Colleges Association on Thursday raised serious concerns over regulatory and policy issues affecting pharmacy education in the Union Territory and urged the Government to take immediate steps to safeguard the interests of pharmacy institutions and students. The concerns were highlighted during a press conference addressed by Association President Sushil Sudan at the Press Club, Jammu.
Addressing the media, Sushil Sudan said the Association has submitted several representations to the authorities on issues that require urgent attention. He emphasized that reforms are necessary to ensure the smooth functioning of pharmacy institutions and to provide students with a transparent and efficient academic environment.
Speaking on the examining authority for pharmacy courses, Sudan said the responsibility for conducting pharmacy examinations should be entrusted to the Jammu and Kashmir State Pharmacy Council instead of the Jammu and Kashmir State Nursing Council. He maintained that the present arrangement is contrary to the provisions of the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and pointed out that the State Pharmacy Council has already expressed its readiness and possesses the required infrastructure to conduct examinations effectively.
Highlighting another concern, Sudan said the existing domicile criteria have adversely affected the children of Government employees, including personnel serving in the Armed Forces, CRPF and BSF, who are posted outside Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that many eligible students are being denied admission to Nursing and Pharmacy courses solely because they do not fulfil domicile requirements, and urged the Government to review the policy in the interest of deserving candidates.
The Association also demanded that Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharmacy) admissions be exempted from the JKBOPEE counselling process. Sudan said admissions should instead be conducted directly by PCI-approved institutions in accordance with the norms of the Pharmacy Council of India. He argued that such a mechanism would facilitate timely admissions, improve seat utilisation, reduce administrative delays and lessen the financial burden on students and institutions while ensuring transparency.
The press conference was also attended by General Secretary Ravinder Chopra, Vice President Sajjad Ahmad Bhat, and members Qayoom Yousuf, Nazir Ahmad, Adil Mushtaq and Rajeshwar Verma, who endorsed the Association’s demands and called upon the Government to address the issues at the earliest.