PCI announces special provisions for B.Pharm students admitted up to AY 2025-26

PCI announces special provisions for B.Pharm students admitted up to AY 2025-26

Gireesh Babu, New Delhi

Saturday, July 25, 2026, 08:00 Hrs [IST]

The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has announced special provisions for the students who have been admitted to the B.Pharm programme up to the academic year 2025-26, in order to tide over any difficulties in completing the course following implementation of the revised B.Pharm syllabus.

The provision is intended to solely help students meet the minimum attendance requirements and complete the programme under the regulations applicable to their admission, said the Council.

The Council, in the backdrop of implementation of the revised B. Pharm syllabus (2026) as per NEP 2020 prescribed by the PCI for students admitted from the academic year 2026 2027 onwards, "all students admitted to the B. Pharm programme up to the academic year 2025-2026 shall continue to be governed by the syllabus and regulations under which they were originally admitted".

To enable these students to complete the programme under B. Pharm syllabus (2016-2017), they shall be permitted to progress to the next higher semester and attend classes, irrespective of any backlog courses.

"Students may continue their studies from the semester immediately following the last semester attended by them, while carrying forward their backlog courses and may continue in this manner up to the eighth semester," it added.

As no new admissions will be made from 2026-2027 onwards under the B. Pharm syllabus (2016-2017), students with a shortage of attendance in any semester shall be given an opportunity to make up the required attendance through special classes, additional instructional hours conducted beyond regular class hours, during study leave periods or through other arrangements approved by the institution.

"This provision is intended solely to help students meet the minimum attendance requirements and complete the programme under the regulations applicable to their admission," said the Council.

"It is the responsibility of the university/institution to ensure that, students admitted as per B. Pharm syllabus (2016-2017) complete the programme as required,' it added.

As reported earlier, the Council has recently notified the B.Pharm 2026, syllabus in the Gazette of India and directed the Universities and colleges approved by the Council under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, to strictly implement the syllabus from the academic session 2026-27.

The PCI launched the B.Pharm syllabus with a Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), emphasising on practical learning, research orientation, digital and artificial intelligence (AI) integration, proposed for implementation from the academic year 2026–27, on April 17, 2026.

The curriculum has been developed in alignment with the vision of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, to strengthen pharmacy education and with a vision to prepare graduates to meet the evolving needs of healthcare and the pharmaceutical sector.

The new syllabus aims at graduate attributes, the key competencies and professional qualities expected from every pharmacy graduate, as the pharmaceutical knowledge proficiency, scientific and analytical thinking, ethical and professional integrity, patient centred orientation, industry and practice readiness, digital and technological awareness, effective communication skills, among others.

The key highlights of the syllabus apart from the digital and AI technologies include research projects in the seventh and eighth semesters, internships in the fourth and sixth semesters, interdisciplinary learning, elective courses to ensure flexibility for the students, strong industry and clinical exposure, outcome-based education, focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and start-ups, among others.

The syllabus introduces emerging areas, including artificial intelligence (AI) and latest digital technologies, enabling students to understand their applications in fields such as drug discovery, pharmaceutical manufacturing, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacy practice, while remaining firmly grounded in the core pharmaceutical sciences, says the Council.

The course of study for B. Pharm shall extend over a period of eight semesters (four academic years) and six semesters (three academic years) for lateral entry students, it added.

MBBS/BDS application portal to reopen

MBBS/BDS application portal to reopen 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 26.07.2026

Chennai : The Tamil Nadu Selection Committee will reopen the online application window for MBBS and BDS admissions for candidates who have not yet submitted their applications for the 2026-27 academic session. The portal — tnmedicalselection.org — would remain open from 10 am on July 26 to 3 pm on July 27, a notification said. 

The committee decided to reopen the portal as a one-time measure after representations from students. It said no editing would be allowed for applications submitted earlier. The scrutiny of applications received before the extension was in process, and modifications or edits to these applications would delay the ongoing scrutiny phase, it said. “Candidates who have submitted their applications with minor errors need not panic. Minor clerical or typographical errors will be taken into consideration and verified appropriately during the document verification and scrutiny stages,” it said.

NEWS TODAY 25.07.2026

 

Pilots drank bottled water purchased from outside vendor

Pilots drank bottled water purchased from outside vendor 

The pilots also consumed bottled water purchased from an outside vendor.

 British Airways is probing whether either could have been the source of the suspected food poisoning. “The welfare of our colleagues is a top priority and we are reviewing crew accommodation in this location following some isolated reports of sickness,” British Airways said in a statement. 

The airline maintained passenger safety was never at risk. “During the flight, one of our pilots became unwell. In line with established procedures, the aircraft continued safely to its destination and landed normally. The safety of our customers and crew is always our highest priority and at no point was the safety of the flight compromised,” the statement said. 

According to the Airline Pilots Association of India (ALPA India), commercial aircraft typically climb above 30,000 feet within 20 to 25 minutes of take-off. “If a pilot required supplemental oxygen during a suspected food poisoning incident, it could indicate that the pilot had fainted or was experiencing breathing difficulties, making immediate medical intervention necessary,” said Anil Rao, general secretary of ALPA India. 

Meanwhile, officials of the GHMC’s food safety wing said they had not received any complaint related to the incident. The RGIA police also confirmed that no complaint had been lodged with them. 

Food poisoning? Three BA pilots fall sick mid-air on Hyd–London flight

 Hyderabad : Three British Airways pilots fell ill, one of them seriously, during a Hyderabad– London flight on July 22 in a suspected case of food poisoning, prompting the airline to launch an investigation and review its crew accommodation arrangements in the city. The incident occurred onboard BA276, the airline's daily service from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad to Heathrow. According to UK media reports, the three pilots began feeling unwell shortly after the flight took off from Hyderabad at 7.45 am. One of the pilots reportedly became seriously ill while the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of around 30,000 feet and was unable to continue normal duties. As the pilot's condition worsened, oxygen was administered onboard. The pilot was taken to a hospital for treatment soon after the aircraft landed in London. The other two pilots also experienced similar symptoms but were able to continue operating the aircraft safely. Their condition reportedly worsened after landing. 

Samples collected from the pilots have been sent for laboratory analysis to determine the source of the illness, the reports added. According to airline sources, the pilots had breakfast together at a hotel lounge during their stay in Hyderabad.

NEWS TODAY 24.07.2026