Over 30% BPharm Seats, 815 MPharm Seats Still Vacant After Final CAP Round in Maharashtra
Mumbai: Maharashtra is witnessing a deepening crisis in pharmacy education as nearly one-third of BPharm seats, 15,936 out of 48,878, remain vacant after the final Centralised Admission Process (CAP) round, along with 815 unfilled MPharm seats out of 8,624, driven by an unchecked rise in pharmacy colleges, inconsistent approval timelines, and limited student demand.
Despite multiple CAP rounds, only 32,942 students secured BPharm admissions this year, leaving more than 32% seats vacant, while 8% of MPharm seats also remain unfilled, signalling a persistent demand–supply imbalance across the state.
Stakeholders attribute the crisis to the mushrooming of new pharmacy colleges—many grappling with infrastructure gaps—while student interest has not grown proportionately. Principals and education experts emphasised that although PCI revoked its earlier ban on 42 colleges after compliance checks, the fundamental problem of oversupply continues. They noted that the rapid opening of institutions has outpaced actual demand, resulting in large-scale vacancies every year.
A prominent challenge highlighted across the reports is the lack of a fixed academic calendar for pharmacy admissions. Unlike engineering and medical courses, which follow structured annual timelines, pharmacy colleges often receive approvals late, disrupting admission cycles. Administrators said this unpredictability forces students to choose alternative courses, further contributing to vacant seats.
The state government is now planning a holistic roadmap for pharmacy education till 2031, including the formation of a committee comprising academic and industry experts to examine college quality, regulatory concerns and long-term capacity planning so that supply can be aligned with realistic demand.
According to a recent media report in The Times of India, the vacancy issue is compounded by rapid expansion of pharmacy colleges across Maharashtra, with many institutions facing showcause notices for regulatory deficiencies.
Careers360 reports that as per CET Cell data, 15,936 BPharm seats and 815 MPharm seats remain vacant despite multiple admission rounds and improvements in PCI compliance among previously banned colleges.
The Hindustan Times highlighted that experts blame excessive approvals for new colleges, low demand among students, and delayed admission schedules as key factors driving the persistent seat vacancies.
