Pharmacy Colleges in Trouble: Maharashtra Cracks Down on Institutions Failing PCI Standards
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has issued a strong ultimatum to all B.Pharm and D.Pharm colleges in the state: comply with Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) norms within one month or face exclusion from the Centralised Admission Process (CAP) 2025. This warning was delivered by Chandrakantdada Patil, the state's Higher and Technical Education Minister, during a recent review meeting at Mantralaya.
According to the minister, several colleges approved between 2022 and 2025 have not fulfilled minimum infrastructure and staffing requirements, despite previous instructions. Patil stated: “Despite earlier instructions, many institutions are yet to ensure the availability of qualified teaching and non‑teaching staff, as well as essential infrastructure.”
Following inspections conducted by a three-member committee, 150 colleges have been identified for detailed scrutiny. These inspections have flagged issues such as insufficient laboratories, lack of full-time teaching staff, inadequate library and hostel facilities, and poor student enrollment. If deficiencies are not rectified by July 31, 2025, such colleges may be excluded from the CAP admission round for the academic year 2025–26. In some cases, approvals may even be revoked upon review by the PCI.
Also Read: SC Slams PCI Over Arbitrary Rejection of Approvals To Pharma Colleges
As per Times of India, the minister made it clear that only colleges meeting the Standard Inspection Format criteria set by PCI would be allowed to participate in the CAP process. Careers360 reports that institutions have been asked to furnish updated data regarding infrastructure and faculty within the stipulated time: “If the institutes fail to meet the norms within the given period, they will not be allowed to admit students for the academic year 2025-26 through the CAP admission process.”
Additionally, the state government has urged the Pharmacy Council of India to halt approval of new pharmacy colleges for the next five years. This request stems from a growing concern over the oversaturation of pharmacy institutions in Maharashtra, where nearly 25,000 seats remained vacant in the 2024–25 academic cycle. Officials noted that this glut has resulted in compromised educational quality and underutilization of resources.
