Lok Sabha has passed the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2021 to declare more six institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research at Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Hajipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Raebareli as institutes of national importance to strengthen research and education in the pharma sector.
The bill provides that every institute established after the commencement of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Act, 2021 shall also be an institution of national importance.
This will also provide for a council to ensure the development of pharmaceutical research and ensure close collaboration between research institutions and industry.
The current bill will amend the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Act, 1998, that established the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), at Mohali in Punjab.
Six new institutes were established at Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Hajipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Raebareli in 2007-2008.
The bill seeks to rationalise the board of governors of each such institute from its existing strength of 23 to 12 members and widen the scope and number of courses run by such institutes, including graduate and post-graduate degrees, doctoral and post-doctoral distinctions and research in pharmaceutical education.
A need is felt to bring clarity that the six institutes so established as well as any other similar institute to be established under the said Act shall be institutes of national importance,” the statement of objects and reasons regarding the bill read.
In order to coordinate the activities of all such institutes, to ensure coordinated development of pharmaceutical education and research and maintenance of standards, etc., there is a need to establish a central body, to be called the Council, it noted.
Functions of the Council include: (i) advising on matters related to course duration, and admission standards in the institutes, (ii) formulating policies for recruitment, conditions of service, and fees, (iii) examining and approving development plans of the institutes, and (iv) examining annual budget estimates of the institutes for recommendations to the central government for allocation of funds.