BU to discontinue MPharm course from 2025-26 session
Berhampur: Berhampur University (BU) has decided to discontinue its MPharm course from the 2025-26 academic session because it did not get approval from Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), an apex body that affiliates pharmaceutical education institutes in the country.
The university authorities wrote a to the chairman of Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) 2025 in this regard after the syndicate, the apex decision-making body of the university, decided in its meeting on March 29 to discontinue the course.
The university was offering the two-year course with 30 seats since 2008 in self-financing mode after getting the no-objection certificate from the state govt. The students who qualified in the OJEE test took admission in the course every year.
In an RTI reply to a student, the PCI said in Dec last year that ‘the council does not have any record of Berhampur University regarding the MPharm course. The MPharm degree of the university is not valid’. After obtaining the RTI reply, at least 10 out of 27 students who took admission last year left the course, sources said.
“Keeping in mind the future of students, the syndicate decided to stop enrolment in its MPharm course,” said BU vice-chancellor Geetanjali Dash said. “The course will be reintroduced once it gets PCI’s approval, she added.
Sukant Kumar Tripathy, post-graduate council chairman, said the PCI did not accord approval of the course as the department has no permanent teaching faculty. A team of the PCI visited the university in 2018 to inspect its infrastructure facilities upon the invitation by the university. At that time, the PCI also rejected their plea for the approval of the course.
The university authorities wrote a to the chairman of Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) 2025 in this regard after the syndicate, the apex decision-making body of the university, decided in its meeting on March 29 to discontinue the course.
The university was offering the two-year course with 30 seats since 2008 in self-financing mode after getting the no-objection certificate from the state govt. The students who qualified in the OJEE test took admission in the course every year.
In an RTI reply to a student, the PCI said in Dec last year that ‘the council does not have any record of Berhampur University regarding the MPharm course. The MPharm degree of the university is not valid’. After obtaining the RTI reply, at least 10 out of 27 students who took admission last year left the course, sources said.
“Keeping in mind the future of students, the syndicate decided to stop enrolment in its MPharm course,” said BU vice-chancellor Geetanjali Dash said. “The course will be reintroduced once it gets PCI’s approval, she added.
Sukant Kumar Tripathy, post-graduate council chairman, said the PCI did not accord approval of the course as the department has no permanent teaching faculty. A team of the PCI visited the university in 2018 to inspect its infrastructure facilities upon the invitation by the university. At that time, the PCI also rejected their plea for the approval of the course.
