PCI Honours 100 Veteran Pharmacy Educators with Bheshji Siksha Ratan Award
New Delhi: The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has announced a national initiative to honour veteran academicians with the prestigious 'Bheshji Siksha Ratan' (Pharmacy Education Jewel) Award at the ITC Welcome Hotel, Dwarka. The national felicitation ceremony recognises approximately 100 distinguished educators from across India who have completed at least 25 years of service in pharmacy education.
Dr. Atul Kumar Nasa, Executive Committee Member of the PCI, noted that the honour serves as an overdue institutional recognition for educators who laid the ethical, regulatory, and academic foundation for India’s pharmaceutical sector.
Dr Montukumar patel in his presidential address emphasized on the initiatives taken by PCI in recent years and reforms brought in pharmacy education . He added the young team of pharmacy council of India is working dedicatedly towards bringing changes in pharmacy profession . He acknowledged the contributions of the educations in making India ‘the pharmacy of the world’ And thanked all the veterans for coming to Delhi and supporting PCI.
Highlighting key curriculum reforms alongside the awards, J.H. Chaudhari, Vice President of the PCI, announced that the council is actively bridging the gap between academia and industry: “This is the first time in PCI’s history that educators with over 25 years of service are being felicitated on a national platform. Under Dr. Montukumar Patel’s leadership, we have formed the PCI Academia Industry Advisory Committee, engaging 50 industrialists to align education with industry needs. The updated curriculum mandates every B.Pharm institution to sign MOUs with at least 10 pharmaceutical companies for hands-on student training, while integrating practical coursework in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and Python.”
The initiative was widely appreciated by some of India’s most eminent pharmacy educators, including Professor Indu Pal Kaur and Professor Padma V. Devarajan, among other distinguished academicians, who underscored its significance in recognising the invaluable contributions of veteran educators and strengthening the future of pharmacy education in India. By bringing some of the country’s most respected pharmacy educators together on a single national platform, PCI aims to acknowledge their quiet yet invaluable contributions to public health over a quarter of a century and inspire the next generation of pharmacy faculty.
