NBE Says No to Reduce Fees for Pharmacy Exit Exam
New Delhi: Despite the requests to reduce the fees for the diploma in pharmacy exit exam, the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences (NBEMS), which is in charge of conducting the test, has refused to accept the demand.
The Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA SF) had urged NBE to reduce the exit examination fee from Rs 5,900 to Rs 2,000. However, replying to IPA SF, NBEMS clarified to the students that it conducts the exit exam based on the DPEE Regulations 2022, and it entails a lot of expenses in many ways.
Therefore, NBE clarified that "It is not feasible to alter the examination fee structure at this time."
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that last month NBEMS had invited online applications for the Diploma in Pharmacy Exit Examination (DPEE) for the October 2024 session. As per the Information Bulletin, released by NBE, candidates have to pay a total of Rs 5900/-, which includes Rs 5,000/- examination fee and Rs 900/- i.e. 18% GST.
Following this, on August 28, the IPA SF wrote to the Union Health Minister, Niti Ayog, PCI President and to the NBEMS demanding them to reduce the fee fixed for DPEE.
The immediate past President of IPA SF, Dr. Sainath Chary Gannoji mentioned in the letter that not reducing the fee structure would limit the opportunities to only for those who could afford the high fee. This way, a lot of students would be excluded from appearing in the exist exam and it would be a tremendous loss to the pharmacy sector as well as their future would be blocked.
Thereofore, the students' forum requested to NBE for a more affordable fee structure for DPEE after taking into account the financial positions of the students. They highlighted that the DPEE fee was higher than the fee set for GPAT. Therefore, they opined that in future examinations, the fee structure should be affordable to all sections of the students in order to give them opportunities to appear in the test.
However, as per the latest media report by Pharmabiz, NBE pointed out that there are substantial differences in the schemes of the examinations like GPAT and DPEE. NBE pointed out that GPAT is only a single-day shift exam, whereas DPEE consists of three papers conducted over three consecutive days and it requires substantial logistical and administrative planning.
It also pointed out that the expenses also include costs for venue arrangement, engaging human resources for the exam functionaries, appointing faculties as appraisers, flying squads, installing jammers and other operational expenses which shall be incurred for all the three shifts of the exam. NBE mentioned that the fee is determined based on the direct and the indirect expenses involved in the conduct of an examination.
Commenting on the matter, immediate past President of IPA SF, Dr. Sainath Chary Gannoji told Pharmabiz that even though NBEMS has now expressed its inability to change the fee structure, he expressed his hope that the examination agency would reduce the fees in the future tests as DPEE is conducted every six months. Clarifying that they will continue their demand, Sainath added, "The last day for applying for the examination is September 13, so the first exam will go with the same fee as notified, but in the future exams, they will reduce the fee, that is what we hope."
Meanwhile, the President of IPA SF Vrushali Doshi mentioned that she would continue writing letters to the NBEMS asking for reducing the fee. She further pointed out that 70 percent of the students cannot afford the fee structure notified by NBEMS and even the students are yet to receive their scholarships. She mentioned that many of the students are struggling for higher studies due to financial difficulties.
Speaking to the Daily, the Chairman of the Education Division of IPA, Prof K Vidhyadhara opined that the present DPEE fee structure is not at all advisable as DPEE is not a graduate-level exam.
He further mentioned that IPA highly objects for charging high fees from the students of the diploma course, and added that an amount more or less equal to this fee is only collected from MBBS students who passed the course in foreign countries for their exit test.
Pointing out that diploma holders are poor students who are struggling to survive, he added that a high-amount is not collected even for the regular examinations. Highlighting that DPEE is just an exam to check the eligibility of the students to register as pharmacists, he added that NBEMS may bring down the amount from Rs 5,900 to Rs 2,000 in the future.
