SC tells Pharmacy Council to process new applications for colleges

The Supreme Court on Tuesday told the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to accept and process the applications for setting up new pharmacy colleges, even as it expressed concern over mushrooming of private colleges in various fields across the country.

"Education is an industry, everybody knows it. There are big business houses," a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Hima Kohli said.

The court's remarks came as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Pharmacy Council of India defended the moratorium imposed on the opening of new colleges.

Mehta said some colleges were run from small shops, which were later closed down.

The bench then referred to the high cost of medical education in the country. “Due to the high cost of medical education here, students go to countries like Ukraine,” the court said.

Mehta defended the moratorium, saying it was issued due to the mushrooming of pharmacy colleges, and they were industries rather, in the garb of institutions.

The counsel, representing the colleges, on the contrary, said that they have lost three years due to the moratorium.

Mehta countered that colleges are saying that they have lost three years, and he could understand students saying this, but not colleges which are industries.

After the hearing, the bench said, "we direct the Pharmacy Council of India to accept and process the application of the applicants who were petitioners before the High Court”.

The court, however, added that no final decision should be taken on approval or disapproval and fixed the matter for consideration on July 26.

The Delhi High Court had set aside the moratorium issued by Pharmacy Council on the opening of new pharmacy colleges for five years with effect from the academic year 2020-21. The High Court said the PCI, in this case, exercised the executive authority in excess and its order cannot be sustained.

Similar orders were passed by the High Courts of Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.