The Union government has proposed to appoint a consultant for preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for effective functioning of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), an autonomous institution under the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers. With the proposal to set up six NIPERs across the country by the department of chemicals and petrochemicals, the consultant is expected to prepare the DPR in the next six months facilitating a roadmap for these institutes.
Announcing this to the media after inaugurating the second NIPER in Hyderabad after Mohali, Arun Ramanathan, secretary, ministry of chemicals and fertilisers said that the DPR would help in roping in private sector participation and inculcate professionalism among the institutes. The institutes are conceived to provide leadership qualities in pharmaceutical sciences and other related areas. It may be mentioned that NIPER is a member of Association of Indian Universities and Association of Commonwealth Universities.
Talking about the Hyderabad centre, Prakash V Diwan, project director, NIPER, said that the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) is the mentor institute for NIPER, Hyderabad. With the growth in the pharma industry, there has been an acute shortage of qualified manpower. Hence, the government decided to set up six NIPERs at Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Hajipur (Bihar), Guwahati and Raebareli (UP). The institutes at Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Hajipur are being initially set up through mentor institutes such as IICT.
Further, NIPER is also working on a PPP model for setting up few facilities in the institutes besides maintaining the institute. While the Centre has sanctioned Rs 200 crore already for each NIPER, it was felt that private sector participation in terms of funding and involvement were crucial for creating a worldclass institute of teaching and research in pharmaceutical sciences.