Change in pharma curriculum demanded

Manipal, Karnataka, Mar 22 (UNI) Speakers at the Industry-Institute Interaction programme today stressed the need for bringing in changes in the curriculum of pharmaceutical sciences to suit the needs of the industry, besides enhancing research and development activities by the institutions relevant to the industry's needs.

Participating in the programme of Industry-Institute Partnership Cell of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), organised by the Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences here, Dr P Gundu Rao, Research Director of Divi Laboratories, Hyderabad, noted that the universities in India were lagging far behind in designing and planning curriculum to suit the needs of industries, particularly in the pharma sector who planned far ahead for 20 to 50 years. The major hurdle was the existing communication gap between the academic institutions and the industries due to ego factor.

''We need to allow some of the universities/institutions to take up some key issues in their curriculum such as regulatory affairs, short term courses, drug analyst courses and other innovative courses, rather than following uniform regular syllabus, so as to suit the industrial requirements,'' he opined.

Dr K G Rajendran of US Vitamins, Mumbai, called for a change in the study of pharmaceutical sciences from the present ''lecture curriculum to research curriculum'' system. The Government should support research infrastructure with accountability, especially in the State-owned institutions.

About 12 senior executives from reputed pharma industries were participating in the programme.

UNI