National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research

(Amendment) Bill, 2021

The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment)

Bill 2021 was introduced in the Lok Sabha. Chemical and Fertilizer Minister
D.V. Sadananda Gawda introduced the Bill which amends the National Institute
of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Act 1998.

The legislation seeks to grant status of institutes of national importance to

existing six National Pharmaceutical Institutes located in Ahmedabad,
Guwahati, Hajipur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Raebareli. This also aims to
empower the Central government to establish a Council for these institutes and
rationalise their Board of Governors for better administration.

1. Background

 The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Act

was passed in the year 1998.
 It was enacted to declare the National Institute of Pharmaceutical
Education and Research at Mohali, Punjab to be an institute of national
importance and to provide for its incorporation and matters connected
therewith.
 The Act was subsequently amended in 2007 to empower the central
government to establish similar institutes in different parts of the country.
 Thereafter, six new institutes in Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Hajipur,
Hyderabad, Kolkata and Raebareli were established during 2007-08.

3. Key Features

 The six institutes established as well as any other similar institute to be

established under the said Act shall be institutes of national importance.
 In order to coordinate the activities of all such institutes, to ensure
coordinated development of pharmaceutical education and research and
maintenance of standards, etc., there is a need to establish a central body,
to be called the Council.
 There is a need to rationalise the Board of Governors of each such
institute and to widen the scope and number of courses run by such
institutes.
 The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research
(Amendment) Bill, 2021, inter alia, seeks to provide for —
(i) amendment of section 2 to declare that—
(a) each such Institute is an institution of national importance;
(b) every Institute established under sub-section (2A) of section 4
on and after the commencement of the National Institute of
Pharmaceutical Education and Research (Amendment) Act,
2021 shall also be an institution of national importance;
(ii) amendment of section 4 to rationalise the Board of Governors of
each such institute from its existing strength of 23 to 12 members;
(iii) amendment of section 7 to widen the scope and number of courses
run by such institutes, including graduate and post-graduate
degrees, doctoral and post-doctoral distinctions and research in
pharmaceutical education, integrated courses, certificate courses
and executive courses;
(iv) insertion of new sections 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E to provide for
establishment of Council, term of office, etc., of members of
Council, functions of Council, Chairman of Council and power to
make rules by Central Government, respectively;
(v) insertion of a new section 33A to empower the Central
Government to issue directions to the Institute for efficient
administration of the Act.