Pune, 2nd November 2023: In a surprising turn of events, this year’s admission process for pharmacy degree courses in the state has seen a staggering 33 per cent of seats remain vacant. This marks a significant increase in vacancies compared to the previous year, with nearly triple the number of unfilled seats. The situation has raised concerns about the future of pharmacy courses, similar to the challenges faced by engineering degree programs.
In recent years, there has been a surge in student interest in pharmacy degree courses in the state. Most of the available seats were occupied, with the course gaining even more popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data provided by the State’s Common Entrance Examination Cell (CET Cell), last year, there were 36,888 seats available for admission in 396 colleges across the state, with 32,137 students admitted. This left 4,751 seats vacant. However, this year, only 28,432 students secured admission out of 42,794 available seats in 453 colleges, leaving a significant 14,362 seats vacant. The addition of 56 new colleges to the admission process, along with an increase of 5,906 seats, has not been sufficient to fill the growing vacancies.
Ramdas Jhol, President of the Association of the Management of Unaided Institutes in Rural Areas, said, “I question whether the state government has formulated a comprehensive plan for the pharmacy course. The admission process for pharmacy courses should align with other medical programs such as BMSS, BHMS, Nursing, and Physiotherapy. Coordination with a uniform admission deadline could help address the situation. The rise in the number of colleges offering pharmacy degree and diploma courses, along with the increased admissions, raises concerns that the course may face a fate similar to engineering courses with a surplus of vacant seats.”
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