Bill to enhance status of six more institutes of pharma education, research tabled in RS

The elevation of six more NIPERs as institutions of national importance will lead to better research capabilities and help scale up pharmaceutical education in the country, Union Minister Manuskh Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

While introducing The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Upper House, the minister said the NIPERs would be governed on the lines of the IITs.

The bill, cleared by the Lok Sabha on December 6, seeks to accord institute of national importance status to six more institutes of pharmaceutical education and research, start new courses and also set up an advisory council for them.

Mandaviya said the National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs) need to be strengthened and reformed to keep pace with the changing times.

''They (NIPERs) need to be modelled in the lines of the IITs,'' the minister noted.

The government wants to set up more institutes that could offer higher education in the pharma sector, Mandaviya said.

There is also a need to offer undergraduate courses through the NIPERs, he added.

''Therefore, we have brought in some amendments in the bill,'' the minister said.

The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in March this year and referred, thereafter, to the Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers.

It seeks to amend the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Act, 1998, which established the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research at Mohali in Punjab and declared it an institution of national importance.

With the amendment, six more institutes of pharmaceutical education and research will be declared as institutions of national importance. These institutes are in Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Hajipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Raebareli.

It also proposes to bring down the membership of the board of governors mandated to manage the institute's affairs at each NIPER from the current 23 to 12.

Participating in the debate, Neeraj Dangi of the Congress said state governments should also get a place in the council of board of governors of the NIPERs.

He also targeted the government, saying various educational institutions have come under attack during the last few years.

Dangi also sought the revocation of the suspension of 12 opposition members of Rajya Sabha.

Ram Gopal Yadav of the SP sought clarity on whether the national importance status would not lead to the end of OBC and SC/ST reservation at the NIPERs.

He also sought the inclusion of one member each from OBCs and ST/SC in the board.

Anil Jain of the BJP noted that the council for the NIPERs would look into various measures like growth of pharma education and other related activities ahead.

He said enhanced research in the sector would lead to self-reliance in raw materials, which are currently imported.

Abir Ranjan Biswas of the TMC said the standing committee had made many recommendations which have not been taken into account in the Bill.

He said the Bill proposes to appoint three Members of Parliament to the NIPER council. The committee had recommended that those appointed in the council should have prior experience in the medical and pharmaceutical field but that has not been taken into account, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)