Bill on pharma institutes in RS: Oppn flags loss of autonomy, suggests criteria for board members


PTI | Delhi | Updated: 09-12-2021 18:41 IST | Created: 09-12-2021 18:29 IST
Bill on pharma institutes in RS: Oppn flags loss of autonomy, suggests criteria for board members
Representative image Image Credit: ANI
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The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed a Bill that seeks to accord the status of institute of national importance to six more institutes of pharmaceutical education and research, and also set up an advisory council for them.

The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Upper House by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. It was passed by a voice vote.

While introducing Bill, Mandaviya said the NIPERs would be governed on the lines of the IITs.

The Bill, cleared by 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 set up an advisory council.

It was introduced in the Lower House in March this year and referred, thereafter, to the Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers.

It seeks to amend the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Act, 1998, which established the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) at Mohali in Punjab and declared it as 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 are located 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 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.

Dangi also sought the revocation of suspension of 12 opposition members of the House.

Fellow Congress MP L Hanumanthaiah said an ''over-centralisation of power and lack of autonomy'' is seen in the Bill.

''The proposed council has been empowered with excessive powers with regard to financial, administrative and managerial matters of these institutes, which has to be looked into very carefully,'' he said.

Hanumanthaiah also said the Bill potentially compromises the institutes' autonomy as the council will mostly be composed of central government bureaucrats and some MPs, wherein it may take decisions that may not be in a particular institute's best interest.

Sushil Kumar Gupta of the AAP suggested that there should be a minimum educational qualification criteria for MPs who are to be a part of the NIPER board, while RJD's Manoj Kumar Jha said they should have medical and pharma background.

Taking part in the discussion, Abdul Wahab of the IUML, while ''wholeheartedly'' supporting the Bill, said, ''All the Bills from the government should be like this so that you can pass hundreds of Bills...The problem is they are getting some Bills which nobody can accept. So this Bill we are all accepting.'' Supporting the Bill, Ram Nath Thakur of the JD(U) called for setting up of more NIPERs, while M Thambidurai of the AIADMK questioned the role of the AICTE in the NIPERs.

Jharna Das Baidya of the CPI(M) welcomed the increase in the number of courses proposed to be offered at the NIPER. Similarly, Ayodhya Rami Reddy of the YSRCP said the amendments were in the right direction, and that the NIPER should work on the right kind of model which the pharma industry demands.

Supporting the Bill, Sujeet Kumar of the BJD called for increasing the budget on pharmaceutical research so as to reduce import dependence of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) from China.

Ram Gopal Yadav of the SP sought clarity on whether the national importance status would lead to the end of OBC and SC/ST reservation at the NIPERs.

He sought the inclusion of one member each from OBC 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.

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

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