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.”
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