Parliamentary panel asks DoP to work towards setting up own campuses for all NIPERs

Mumbai, August 16, 2021:

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals & Fertilisers has recommended to the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) to take steps to set up own campuses for all the NIPERs and chalk out concrete proposals for the timely setting up of the five additional NIPERs as per the announcement made by the government in 2012.

The Department also has to take steps to increase the annual intake of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), pursue the ministry of finance to set up own campuses for all the NIPERs and start B-Pharm courses in these institutes, as part of a new amendment bill.

The Standing Committee, headed by Member of Parliament Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, in the 23rd report presented to the Parliament houses earlier this month on the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Educational and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2021, said that out of the seven NIPERs, only NIPER, Mohali has its own full-fledged campus at present, while the other six NIPERs set up during 2007-08, almost 90 per cent of construction has been completed only in respect of Guwahati NIPER and construction activities have been started for Ahmedabad NIPER.

Construction of campus for other four NIPERs - Hajipur, Hyderabad, Kolkatta and Raebareli has not been started due to deferment of decision by the Economic Finance Committee (EFC) in March, 2018. The DoP has submitted fresh proposals on construction of campuses for these NIPERs.

The Committee recommended that the department should pursue vigorously at the highest level with the ministry of finance for the early EFC approval along with the appropriate financial outlay for the construction of own campuses for all these NIPERs in a time bound manner.

“EFC under the Ministry of Finance should take appropriate action to expedite the approval process in respect of construction of permanent campuses for all NIPERs,” it added.

The proposal to set up five more NIPERs at Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Jhalawar (Rajasthan), Nagpur (Maharashtra), New Raipur (Chattisgarh) and Bengaluru (Karnataka) is remaining on paper since 2021 and the Committee recommended the Department to chalk out concrete proposals for timely setting up of these NIPERS and place them before the ministry of finance for necessary budgetary allocation for the same, considering that the present coverage of NIPERs is hardly sufficient to create a talent pool of pharmacists required for the country.

Considering the NIPERs are declared as Institution of national importance, it is not satisfied with their annual intake capacity of 1,185 at present and it should be enhanced significantly given the huge population in the country.

Observing that in spite the NIPERs are of national importance, there is huge disparity among them in terms of infrastructure, courses offered, campus area and academic and research output, it recommended that there should be a standard for all their parameters.

The Committee recommended that B.Pharma courses should be started at all the NIPERs to get a healthy pool of graduates for the industry needs and further research. Students pursuing integrated PG and PhD courses should also be given a fellowship to bring in parity with the existing PG and PhD students at the NIPERs.

It opined that there should be provisions made in the Bill that the Member of Parliament, who are nominated to the Council, which would administer all the NIPERs, should have exposure to the medical/pharmaceutical field. There should be provisions made in the Amendment Bill so that directors of NIPERs, which are modeled on IITs, are also appointed by the council instead of Board of Governors with the prior approval of the Visitor (President of India), which is the existing clause.

There should also be a provision that the proposed council shall meet at least once every six months, instead of the present proposal that the Council may meet at least once every year.

It has also observed that at present, there is no provision in the NIPER Act regarding inter-NIPER transfer of directors and faculty members and recommended that suitable provision may be incorporated in the Bill to enable such inter-NIPER transfer, which may help in mutual sharing and learning among the faculties and directors of NIPERs.

The Bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on 15 March 2021 and was referred to the Committee by the Lok Sabha Speaker for examination and report within three months from the date of publication of the reference of the Bill in Bulletin Part-II of Lok Sabha dated 16th April 2021. At the request of the Committee, the Speaker granted an extension of two months for the presentation of the Report.

The Bill seeks to grant status of institutes of national importance to existing six National Pharmaceutical Institutes located in Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Hajipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Raebareli. This also aims to empower the Central government to establish a Council for these institutes and to rationalise their Board of Governors for better administration.

The proposed Council is to be set up under the chairmanship of the minister in charge of the DoP. It would coordinate the activities of all NIPERs and advise them on issues relating to duration of the courses, lay down policy, examine development plans, examine the annual budget estimates of each Institute, recommend the Central government regarding allocation of funds and advise the Visitor in respect of any function to be performed by him under this Act. The composition, powers etc. of the proposed Council are similar to those prescribed for IIT Council as per IIT Act. Pharmabiz