Major Relief for SBSF College of Pharmacy: Delhi HC Orders PCI to Evaluate D.Pharm Affiliation
Delhi High Court
New Delhi: In a major relief to SBSF College of Pharmacy, the Delhi High Court has directed the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to process and decide the college's application seeking a change in its affiliating/examining authority for the D.Pharm course for the academic session 2025-26, without insisting on a de-affiliation certificate from the previous council.
The case was filed by SBSF College of Pharmacy and Another, represented by advocates Mr. Amitesh Kumar, Ms. Priti Kumari, and Mr. Pankaj Kumar Ray. The Pharmacy Council of India was represented by Mr. Ajay Kumar Singh.
SBSF College of Pharmacy had earlier applied for approval for the Academic Session 2024–25 with a No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development on January 20, 2024. The NOC stated that the council had “no objection to affiliation, subject to approval by the Pharmacy Council of India (‘PCI’) under Section 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 and subject to physical inspection/verification of all infrastructure and facilities at the time of grant of affiliation.”
Subsequently, the PCI granted approval for the D. Pharm course on November 28, 2024, for the 2024–25 session but rejected approval for the B. Pharm course. Despite the PCI’s approval, the West Bengal State Council did not grant affiliation “for various reasons,” resulting in the course not being launched. Consequently, “the affiliation never really fructified for the Academic Session 2024–25.”
When SBSF College of Pharmacy applied for the 2025–26 session, it obtained a fresh NOC/consent from another authority—the State Medical Faculty of West Bengal—dated June 4, 2025, and deposited the requisite fee of Rs. 50,000 while applying for a change of the examining body.
Counsel for the Pharmacy Council of India, Mr. Ajay Kumar Singh, submitted that the college’s application had not been processed because a de-affiliation certificate from the West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development had not been provided.
On the other hand, counsel for SBSF College of Pharmacy, Amitesh Kumar, argued that “since affiliation never fructified through the West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development, the question of getting a de-affiliation certificate from them cannot arise.”
Justice Anish Dayal observed that,
“In these circumstances, in the opinion of this Court, there should be no impediment on this issue of getting a de-affiliation certificate from the West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development to hold up the processing of the application.”
The Court disposed of the matter with a clear direction to the Pharmacy Council of India to proceed with the evaluation of the college’s application without further delay. The order stated:
“Accordingly, the petition is disposed of with the direction to PCI that it shall consider processing the application of petitioner based on the documents which have been filed and will take a decision in accordance with rules and regulations. The same shall be communicated to petitioner or petitioner's counsel within two days.”
