Berhampur: A decision taken in haste by the syndicate of the Berhampur University to offer a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) course on self-financing basis has left students in the lurch. The university went ahead and announced admission to the course without approval by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). The students who had applied for the course have now lost a year.
The syndicate, at its meeting August 14, decided to place advertisements for admission to the B.Pharma course from the current academic year. The number of seats offered was 60.
Intimation letters were sent to 60 selected students directing them to send their original certificates and other documents with bank drafts to the university on or before October 6 for admission.
Classes were scheduled to begin from October 10. Students sent original mark sheets and other documents to the university’s School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (SPER).
However, in a notification dated September 26 on the university website, the syndicate notified that admission to the course would be delayed as the course has not been approved by PCI, and asked students to collect their certificates and bank drafts from the university.
A student of Keonjhar, who was selected for admission by Centurion University, gave up his seat after he received the intimation letter from Berhampur University.
“I have lost my engineering seat. There is no other place where I can take admission now,” said the student. “Due to the carelessness of the university authorities we have lost a year,” another student said.
Although the university had completed formalities to invite PCI members to review infrastructure and teaching facilities before granting permission to begin the course, there was a delay on the part of PCI members to visit the campus. Hence, the university decided not to proceed with the admission, the college authorities said.
PNN
