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The West Bengal branch of the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (WB IPA) has urged the National Board of Examination in Medical Sciences (NBEMS) to provide special chance to the students admitted in the academic session 2022-24 to the D Pharm course in the state to appear for the Exit Examination scheduled for October 3, 4 and 5 this year.
The result of this batch of the diploma course came only last week in West Bengal, but those admitted in the 2021-23 batch and passed the course have already registered their certificates with the state pharmacy council. The exit examination is conducted to qualify for the registration.
On behalf of the students and diploma institutions in West Bengal, the state IPA has also wanted the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to recommend the case of West Bengal to the NBEMS as the result of the 2022-24 batch of D Pharm was published only last week. The examination agency’s notification says that students passed before the 31st of July 2024 only are eligible for applying for the examination. If the examination agency does not extend the last date for applying for the test, students passed this year cannot write the examination, IPA informed the PCI.
Prabir Kumar Banerjee, president of the WB IPA told Pharmabiz that several states’ board of examinations published the result of the D Pharm before July 31 and those students who completed the course and cleared the examinations could apply for it. As far as West Bengal is concerned, 95 per cent of the students of the diploma course did their course in private pharmacy colleges and the examination was conducted by the Board of Examinations under the Technical Education Board. Whereas, a few universities in the state are also conducting the diploma course and they published the results before July 31. Students passed from such universities can apply for the exit exam and register their certificate with the state pharmacy council.
Banerjee said the national board of examinations is collecting huge amounts as exam fee from students, which has to be reduced. In his letter he wanted the president of the board to reduce the amount from Rs. 5,900 to Rs. 2,000 to help the poor students of West Bengal. He wanted the PCI president Dr. Montukumar Patel to intervene in the matter and support the demands of the West Bengal IPA for the sake of the poor students in the state. Banerjee said the poor students have already spent a lot of money towards course fees and examination fees.
As per the strictures of the PCI, students admitted in 2022-23 academic session have to mandatorily pass the exit exam for registration of their certificates with the respective state pharmacy councils. PCI has already given strict instructions to the SPCs in India not to allow students who have cleared the course in 2024 to register with the councils. According to Banerjee, a uniform examination system for D Pharm is required at all India levels. Currently, various state examination boards are enrolling students for the course and conducting examinations at various times. Universities conduct the diploma course and hold examinations on their conveniences. No uniform syllabus or course curriculum or schedule of admission and examination is there for the D Pharm at present in India.
Meanwhile, Prof. B Ajith, former chairman of the Board of D Pharm Examinations and HoD at the pharmacy department in Kerala has informed that this year the Exit Exam will not be conducted in the state as examination for D Pharm is going on at present. He said after the Covid pandemic there happened a one-year delay for admission to the course in Kerala, so the result of the ongoing academic session will come out very late. He further said the Department of Pharmacy at the Thiruvananthapuram medical college has contacted the National Board of Examinations in Medical Sciences asking for extension of the date and got the reply that the board will conduct the exit exam in every six months.
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