Students fume as JNTU starts B Pharm course sans PCI nod: 2024-25 students left in limbo; varsity seeks retroactive approval
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B Pharmacy began at the campus college in 2024-25 with an intake of 66 seats.
Varsity officials said they could not apply for approval of the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) last year as the application window closed by the time they got the state's nod to start the course.
"We are trying to get the course ratified from the PCI," said Venkata Narasimha Reddy Guduru, principal, JNTUH University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
He said they have the council's approval for 2025-26. "About a week back, we got approval for the coming academic year. Based on that, we are trying to get the course ratified for the previous year," he added.
Now, as the first year has started and even exams have been conducted, the varsity has to either shift students to a recognised college or get the course ratified at any cost. In fact, officials have already shifted the pharmacy campus to Sultanpur, which has approval from PCI, for the academic year 2025-26.
"Students of 2024-25 batch will continue to suffer as they are the only pharmacy students at the Hyderabad campus right now. Initially, they said it was approved by the executive council. But later, even that turned out to be false," said J Dileep from the JNTUH Student Protection Forum.
A first year student said: "I joined the campus college as it was one of the options available in the counselling. I was under the impression it had all permissions."
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