As exit exam gets delayed, D.Pharm students to get provisional registration certificates
This registration certificate will be valid for only a year, after which these students will have to clear the exit examination to renew it.
3 min read
The D. Pharm. Exit Examination was introduced only last year and the first such exam was expected to be held in October (Representative image)In partial relief to thousands of students who completed Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm) in the 2023-24 academic year, they will be handed over provisional registration certificates, without having to appear for the Exit Examination for the same, as there is no clarity yet on when the exam will be held.
However, this registration certificate will be valid for only a year, after which these students will have to clear the exit examination to renew it.
The Pharmacy Council for India (PCI) has issued a circular in this regard stating that it has received a number of complaints from students that “they are unable to work or get a job as they are not registered as pharmacists,” stated the circular. It further instructed relevant authorities to issue registration certificates to students from this batch, which will be valid for one year and will not be renewed thereafter until they clear the exit examination.
The D. Pharm. Exit Examination was introduced only last year and the first such exam was expected to be held in October. Students who passed D. Pharm. in the 2023-24 academic year were required to appear for this exam to obtain their registration certificate, which allows them to work as pharmacists. But since its announcement, this exam has sparked a row as it has multiple papers and is costly.
Dr Milind Umekar, national president of the Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India, explained, “The exam had three papers and it charged Rs.5900 as fee. Candidates soon started complaining about unaffordable fees and pointed out that bigger competitive exams such as NEET and JEE do not cost as much or have this many papers.”
According to the PCI’s circular dated December 31, it has already communicated to the government about changes intended to the exam from a total of three papers to only one paper to avoid financial burden on students. “The approval of the ministry is yet awaited,” it stated.
With the approval still pending, the first ever exit exam for D. Pharm is delayed. This has left the 2023-24 batch without a registration certificate, thus making it difficult for them to find work.
“The one-year provisional registration certificate is only a partial relief to them. To renew that after a year, students from this batch will have to clear the exit examination,” said Umekar. As per earlier practice, there was no exit exam for D. Pharm students who after clearing the course would get their registration certificates, which would be valid for 15 years.
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