Norms for Pharmacy Teachers in new UGC regulations

I have gone through the recommendation of the Expert Committee constituted by the UGC regarding draft UGC Regulations on minimum qualifications for appointment of teachers.

The new UGC Regulations state that the norms/regulations of only AICTE shall apply for pharmacy teachers in the pharmacy.  There is no mention of PCI in the regulations. Candidate is also required to clear the eligibility tests NET/SLET/SET for recognition as a pharmacy teacher.

As you are aware, like Medical Council of India, Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) is a statutory body constituted under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, a Central Act passed by the Parliament to regulate pharmacy education and practice of profession in the country. Section 10 of the said Act empowers the PCI to frame regulations prescribing the minimum standard of education required for qualification as a pharmacist. Accordingly, the PCI has framed Education Regulations, 1991 and Pharm.D Regulations, 2008.  The said regulations besides prescribing other infrastructural facilities also prescribe the requirements of teaching staff in pharmacy institutions in terms of their qualification, experience, number, work load, staff student ratio etc.

In this connection, I, as the President of PCI, have written to the UGC that since norms/regulations for teachers in pharmacy discipline is regulated by PCI under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, the following amendments be incorporated in the regulations

 

Present Regulation

Amendment

For teachers in the Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, the norms /Regulations of Indian Council of Agricultural Research; for Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and AYUSH, the norms/Regulations of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; for Faculty of Education, the norms/Regulations of National Council of Teacher Education and for Engineering, Pharmacy and Management, the norms/Regulations of All India Council for Technical Education shall apply.

For teachers in the Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, the norms /Regulations of Indian Council of Agricultural Research; for Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and AYUSH, the norms/Regulations of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; for Faculty of Education, the norms/Regulations of National Council of Teacher Education, for Engineering, and Management, the norms/ Regulations of All India Council for Technical Education and for pharmacy the norms/regulations of Pharmacy Council of India and All India Council for Technical Education shall apply.

The requirement of passing the eligibility test (NET/SLET/SET) should be deleted for pharmacy faculty as pharmacy is a professional qualification (B.Pharm/M.Pharm/Ph.D.) like MBBS and hence there is no requirement of clearing the said test.

- Dr. B. Suresh