Ahmedabad: Taking up undergraduate pharmacy courses in Gujarat has been on the rise since the Covid-19 pandemic increased demand for the pharma and allied sector. Of the 6,250 seats available in degree pharmacy, 5,538 were taken in the year 2019-20, while of the 1,156 diploma pharmacy seats, 890 were taken.
This increased to 5,883 seats in 2020-21 against a total intake of 6,494 degree seats while out of 1,300 diploma pharmacy seats 1,026 were taken.
Also, the number of registration has increased in these last two years. For the academic session 2021-22, out of a total intake of 7,140 seats, admission to 5,182 seats is conducted by the central admission agency Admission Committee for Professional Courses (ACPC). Against these 5182 seats, 15,491 registrations have been reported by ACPC till October 13.
However, in the academic year 2020-21, a total of 11,464 registrations were reported against a higher number of seats — 7,794.
M N Patel, Vice-Chancellor Parul University Vadodara that runs degree and diploma courses at three pharmacy colleges told, “The demand for these courses has increased because medicine manufacturing came on a fast track as pharma companies got a green nod and push from both central and state governments after the pandemic. The seats that would go vacant for the last two years are now 100 per cent filed. For the last two years, we have also seen an impressive campus placement, recently to such an extent that the number of jobs offered is more than the number of students.”
As the admission process is still underway, the pharmacy colleges are claiming a majority of the seats already taken after the first round of admissions.
Dr Chhaganbhai Patel, Pharmacy Dean at GTU who is also a member of Gujarat State Pharmaceutical Council, said, “Post Covid all industries were shut except the pharma sector. Also, with several packages under the Atma Nirbhar scheme the healthcare sector got funding for pharma industries. All these reasons have added to the hike in demand for these courses. This is going to increase in coming years too.”
Echoing a similar response to pharmacy courses, Dr Ali Asgar, head of the department of Pharmacy at Indukaka Ipcowala College of Pharmacy in New Vallabh Vidyanagar, said, “The response to admissions is very good. Almost all colleges have their seats filled and a few also started the beginner course. For instance, students are eager to attend college for the beginner course we started on October 11.”
Further, speaking on the reasons for this increase in demand, Dr Asgar said, “Since there is a demand in the healthcare sector, there are more takers for pharmacy courses witnessed more prominently post Covid. This hike in takers for the undergraduate courses is reflected in the fact that people have seen the pharma business growing right from the bottom-most level which is a drug store, so there is demand.”
This year, the break-up of 7,140 seats reveals that three government and three grant-in-aid degree pharmacy colleges have 380 seats and 550 diploma seats in eight government and grant-in-aid.
Similarly, in self-financed colleges, 69 degree colleges have 5550 seats and 11 diploma colleges have 660 seats.
