PCI implementation of Aadhaarlinked IDs, biometric attendance to curb ghost faculty

PCI implementation of Aadhaarlinked IDs, biometric attendance to curb ghost faculty 

Pharmacy institutions have been directed to procure certified biometric authentication devices to ensure proper attendance 

Priyadarshini.Gupta@timesofindia.com 

In a move to enhance transparency and address malpractices in the pharmacy education sector, the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) will be soon implementing Aadhaarbased authentication for the unique ID registration numbers issued to pharmacy teachers and students. The initiative, expected to begin in February, will curb creation of duplication and ghost faculty profiles. To strengthen this further, the PCI is also in the process of initiating the implementation of Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) in all approved pharmacy institutions from the 2025-2026 academic session in a phased manner. '

There have been growing concerns over the lack of transparency in maintaining accurate records of pharmacy educators. Institutions sometimes fail to keep proper records of their teaching staff, often hiring guest lecturers or assigning ‘ghost faculty’ to avoid regular payroll. All institutions are directed to procure Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC)-certified biometric authentication devices. With this, the PCI will monitor the attendance of all faculty staff at the institutions. The Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) are required to maintain internet connectivity for the effective functioning of this system. 

Experts feel the new system will enhance the credibility of pharmacy education and facilitate better policymaking. Montukumar Patel, president, PCI, says, “Introduction of Aadhaar-linked unique IDs will create a more reliable and secure way to manage the database of pharmacy educators and students. As of now, more than 1,00,000 teachers have applied for their unique ID  registration number. 

We expect to receive more registrations soon.” Chance to re-register The unique ID registration system involves the issuance of an ID card with a QR code, which contains the central registration number of the teacher or student. These smart cards not only serve as an identification tool but also enable easy verification via QR codes. The link between Aadhaar and the unique ID will ensure that each registered teacher or student has a verifiable identity, preventing the creation of multiple fraudulent profiles. The process will be managedthrough the PCI website, where teachers and students can initiate the process of lin king their Aadhaar numbers with their respective IDs. 

“Previously, there were no checkpoints to ensure the validity of registrations, leading to the creation of multiple profiles by the same individual, often using different email addresses. The new system will eliminate such discrepancies,” adds Patel. The PCI usually faces a challenge in maintaining the DIGI-PHARMedportal due to the prevalence of duplicate or invalid profiles. Recently, it blacklisted over 91,000 such profiles on the portal. “The council has now asked individuals to re-register using their Aadhaar-linked mobile numbers. This will ensure that only valid candidates are allowed access to the system, and prevent further cases of duplicate profiles,” says the PCI president. 

Boost accountability The initiative aims to enhance its teacher identification system and create accountability. Daksh Bhatia, professor, KIET School of Pharmacy, Ghaziabad, says, “The PCI has been collecting details of teachers and issuing ID cards for some time now, however, the process lacked authentication. There have been instances of duplication, where some teachers created multiple IDs using different email addresses linked to the same Aadhaar number. Delays in generating OTPs further led to errors and duplication. Faculty members will now also be able to shift from one institution to another with relative ease. The new system will allow the faculty to submit transfer requests to their current institution, and once the transfer is approved, they can officially join the new institution, ensuring that their teaching records remain up to date.” Real-time insights By linking the Aadhaar, the PCI is trying to ensure that every pharmacist is identified and associated with a specific workplace — whether a hospital, retail pharmacy, or academic institution. Anuradha Majumdar, HoD, Department of Pharmacology, Bombay College of Pharmacy, Mumbai, says, “This centralised database will not only serve as a verification tool but will also provide real-time insights into the distribution of pharmacists across sectors. Such data can be crucial during emergencies, central/state/ region/rural-urban-wise decision-making, while forming and implementing new government policies and methodologies in healthcare as well as in pharmacy higher education. 

It will allow the PCI to map specialised skillsets such as pharmacists working as teachers with value-added information on specialisations and research areas; pharmacists manning retail outlets, hospital pharmacies with expertise in intensive care units or those involved in advanced therapies like cell-based therapy or specialty areas enabling better utilisation of registered pharmacists as manpower. The step will generate a central pharmacist database covering all states.”

Revised 1:20 teacher-student ratio for BPharm courses may increase faculty load, lower education standards

Revised 1:20 teacher-student ratio for BPharm courses may increase faculty load, lower education standards 

PCI says directive aims at optimising teaching resources across pharmacy institutions, will not impact existing staff 

Priyadarshini.Gupta@timesofindia.com 20.01.2025  EDUCATION TIMES

 AHAMEDABAD

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has specified the staff-to-student ratio for Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) courses should not exceed 1:20 in theory and practical classes in the pharmacy colleges. The directive came as part of a revised circular to initiate the approval process for pharmacy institutions for the academic session 2025-26. The teacher-student ratio earlier was 1:15, which has been increased from the new academic year. The PCI has revised faculty requirements based on student enrolments. Staff requirement for BPharm courses with 60 students in a batch has been reduced from a total of 15 to 12. Earlier, a college had four professors, four associate professors, and seven assistant professors, which now will be three professors, four associate professors, five assistant professors/lecturers, apart from the principal. 

For BPharm courses having 100 students, the faculty requirement has been brought down from 25 to 20. Earlier, it was four professors, seven associate professors, and 14 assistant professors/ lecturers, which will now be four professors, seven associate professors, and nine assistant professors/lecturers, apart from the principal. While the PCI wants to optimise faculty utilisation across pharmacy institutions, educators think the move will burden the teachers. 

Better allocation 

The PCI plans to introduce measures so that the directive does not affect the existing faculty. Speaking to Education Times, Montukumar Patel, president, PCI, says, “The ratio change aims to optimise resource utilisation across pharmacy institutions. Earlier, the distribution of workload, particularly in subjects taught during the second and third years of the course, resulted in some faculty members having limited responsibilities during certain academic periods, leading to underutilisation of teaching resources. By adopting the revised ratio, institutions can better allocate teaching staff across subjects and academic years.”Several institutions usually follow the ratio of 1:15. Srinivas Mutalik, professor and principal, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MAHE, Udupi, says, “A 1:15 ratio ensures more personalised attention for students, enhancing their learning experience. 

However, teachers will now need to pay more attention, especially in practicals, where close supervision is critical.” The revised ratio is likely to increase the workload for the faculty. Daksh Bhatia, professor, KIET School of Pharmacy, Ghaziabad, says, “Teachers are already burdened with responsibilities beyond their core teaching duties such as handling accreditation processes, research activities, and consulting. These administrative demands leave them with little time to focus on teaching.” He adds, “With fewer faculty members, the pressure will intensify as teachers will cover more subjects and manage larger groups of students. This maydegrade the quality of education.

DPEE to ensure quality of pharmacists and prevent misuse of DPharm course

DPEE to ensure quality of pharmacists and prevent misuse of DPharm course 

As the exam faces a delay, PCI will grant a one-year license to passouts to practice temporarily 

Priyadarshini.Gupta@timesofindia.com 06.01.2025

The National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences recently announced the deferment of the Diploma in Pharmacy Exit Examination (DPEE) which was scheduled for October 2024. The mandatory exit exam, introduced through the Diploma in Pharmacy Exit Examination Regulations, 2022 by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), aims to ensure that Diploma in Pharmacy (DPharm) graduates meet the required educational and practical training standards before registering as pharmacists under the Pharmacy Act, 1948. 

Students belonging to the 2022-2023 academic year were the first batch required to take this exam. The first batch raised concerns over the examination fees for three papers and urged to reduce the number of papers to one. The exam will now be tentatively held by February-March 2025. To address the concerns of the students, the PCI has proposed reducing the exam from three papers to one and is awaiting approval from the Union Health Ministry. 

Recognizing employment challenges faced by students, the PCI has agreed to grant provisional one-year licenses to the 2022-2023 batch graduates. The licenses will enable the passouts to practice temporarily. It will allow students to enter the job market by applying in state pharmacy councils, and practice in government pharmacy shops temporarily. Despite being introduced in 2022, the exam's implementation has faced delays. Experts say that the exit exam is a positive move and will help curb mushrooming of DPharma colleges, improve the quality of pharmacists in the long run and ensure only competent professionals enter the field.

Montukumar Patel, president, PCI, says, “The introduction of an exit exam for pharmacists is a critical reform and will elevate professional standards. Despite sharing the exam draft regulations in the public domain for feedback, no objections regarding the fee or structure were received at that time. It is only now, the grievances regarding the number of paper and fee have started to come up. Implementation hiccups exist since we are holding the exam for the first time. Once the exam is conducted, the process will become smooth.” License renewal Despite the delay, the PCI will issue one-year provisional licenses to students to help them secure employment. “There is no limit on the number of attempts, the students must clear the exam before their licenses expire to continue practicing. Licenses will not be renewed unless one clears the exam. 

The move is also intended to curb the misuse of the course and licenses, where a few individuals used their qualifications merely to open pharmacy shops. The reform ensures that only competent and well-trained individuals enter the profession,” adds Patel. Furthermore, the exam serves as a tool to regulate the growing number of DPharm colleges, ensuring that only institutions meeting quality benchmarks continue to operate. The course is designed for class XII students with a science background, enabling them to complete the two-year program and enter the workforce, he adds. Daksh Bhatia, professor, KIET School of Pharmacy, says, “Earlier, we never had exit examinations. It was only in 2017-18, when the mushrooming of several pharmacy colleges started, that the need for exit exams was felt.” “The focus should also be on strengthening the quality of education in pharmacy colleges. Exit exams will motivate students to study diligently as they will be evaluated by a third party. Usually, most candidates want to enter the job market as soon as possible after completing a two-year course. 

The reform is expected to filter out unqualified candidates and discourage misuse of the DPharm qualification for obtaining quick licenses to open pharmacy shops,” adds Prof Bhatia.