Parliament passes Bill to enhance status of six more institutes of pharma education, research

NEW DELHI: Parliament 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 cleared by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday with a voice vote. 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 those.

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Replying to a discussion on the bill, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the Bill has come with four amendments which includes qualifying six NIPERs (National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research) as institutes of national importance and introducing undergraduate and diploma courses.

"There is a Mohali NIPER which was given national institute qualification. After this, six more NIPERs were set up. There was no clarification whether they are of national importance. To clarify this and give them national importance category is one of our amendment," Mandaviya said.

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The Bill was introduced in 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 affairs at each NIPER from the current 23 to 12.