Staff Vacancies And Budget Cuts: The Neglected National Pharmaceutical Institutes In India

(Reproduced from youth ki Awaaz Sep 8 2015 )

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The National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) were established in 1998 under the NIPER Act. The vision then, was that they would support the pharmaceutical industry, which has been on the edge of radical transformation in the last few years. As a result, these institutes were accorded the prestigious distinction of being of national importance. One would assume then that by virtue of including the word ‘importance’ in their accorded distinction, these institutes would be national priority and that every effort would be made to ensure their development and growth.

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Unfortunately, their fate today has been conveniently ignored amidst the slew of educational institute announcements that are made every year. In 2007, six NIPERS were sanctioned at Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Hijapur, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Raebareli. A review of their progress in the last eight years, shows the rather step motherly treatment that has been meted out to these institutions. Out of the six sanctioned NIPERs in 2007, construction of only one NIPER located at Guwahati has commenced since. In the case of NIPER Raebareli, Hijapur, and Kolkata, land has not even been allotted. Eight years since the official announcements, their files keep moving back and forth between State Government and Central Government, with the result that each of these institutes is yet to see it’s own building.

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Over 90 percent of the teaching staff in the newer NIPERs is on contractual basis. In NIPER Guwahati, there are two Assistant Professors and 13 contractual faculty members. In NIPER Hijapur, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Raebareli, there is no permanent faculty. On the other hand, one of the older NIPERs, NIPER Mohali, has more than half the teaching posts vacant. Out of 18 posts sanctioned for the post of Associate Professor at NIPER Mohali, nine are vacant. At the Assistant Professor level, 23 out of 29 posts are vacant.

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Image source: Functioning of National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research Twelfth Report

This might well be the tip of the iceberg. The topmost administrative position, that of Director, is vacant in four NIPERs. Appointment of Directors has not been made to NIPER Mohali, Hijapur and Kolkata. Even eight years since their inception NIPER Hijapur, Hyderabad and Kolkata, are being administrated by the Directors of their mentor institutes. As per the NIPER Act 1998, the Director is a key authority in NIPER institutes and is responsible for proper administration and academic performance of the NIPERs. Yet the absence of the Directors and heedlessness of these institutes seems to bother few in the Government.

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Apart from the bureaucratic roadblocks that have impeded the progress of NIPERs, there seems to be a lot more issues before them. In June this year, a senior scientist and whistleblower from NIPER Mohali alleged that the institute had been sharing technology and research with the pharmaceutical industry for peanuts. The former scientist alleged that the institute had a secretive bidding process for patents, lacked transparency and had overlooked national interest in its dealings with the pharmaceutical industry.

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There seem to be a host of issues with NIPERs but that is not the greatest disappointment. The greatest disappointment is the apathy of the Government and its lackadaisical response to the issue. The budgetary allocation presents the crux of the issue, one of lip service importance and negligence. From 2012 to 2014, the Government made high budgetary allocations to the institutes and in some cases even increased allocations. Yet the revised allocations have seen consistent cuts. While the budgetary allocations for 2012, 2013 and 2014 were Rs. 121 crore, Rs. 112 crore and Rs. 124 crore, the revised allocations in these years was only Rs. 80 crore, Rs. 65 crore and Rs. 56 crore respectively. In this years budget speech too, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley proposed three new NIPERs in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, but new budgetary provisions have been made for them.

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The critical condition of these institutes has been clearly expressed by the Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers in its report on the ‘Functioning of NIPERs’. One can only hope that the report will rattle some in the Government

CBI questioning NIPER Scientists to probe into ‘diversion’ of funds at NIPER

The Central Bureau of Investigation has initiated a preliminary enquiry into the alleged diversion of Rs 100 crore at the Mohali-based National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research. 

The PE has been initiated on the complaint of a ‘whistle-blower’ ex-scientist of the institute who had moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the institute and made the CBI a respondent two years ago. 

 Sources said that Dr Parikshit Bansal, the complainant, submitted voluminous documentary evidence and also discussed the matter with CBI officials, before the PE was lodged.

Neither UPA nor NDA, Who cares,............

  

The authorities at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research handed over the institute’s laboratory to foreign pharma company Systems Biology Worldwide in 2006 triggering a controversy over misuse of public resources. 

“The laboratory was set up by spending Rs 1 crore and was rented out to Systems Biology Worldwide for just Rs 20 lakh per annum. Interestingly, half of the rent amount was paid to the advisors as consultancy,” Nilanjan Roy, who is a former associate professor and member of NIPER’s Purchase Committee, told Mail Today. 

Lalit Jain, who is a former member of NIPER’s Board of Governors, said some precious instruments were found missing from the lab after it was handed over to the company. 

Not only did the institute appoint two former Ranbaxy bosses but also handed over a major department to them. 

The Technology Development Centre, which was set up to train students and offer resources to small-scale entrepreneurs, was handed over to Ranbaxy between 2004 and 2010 for a monthly rental of Rs 16 lakh. 

However, the operational cost of this centre is nearly Rs 25 lakh per month. 

NIPER officiating director K.K. Bhutani is accused of running the department despite attaining the age of superannuation in 2013. 

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued a notice to Bhutani in June on the basis of a petition filed by Dr Parikshit Bansal. 

“For the last 15 years, all NIPER faculty members were being issued letters of appointment in which the retirement age was indicated as 62 years.  "As a member of the board of governors, Bhutani increased the retirement age from 62 to 65 years just a month before he was due to retire in 2013.  "Under the NIPER Act and statutes, any change in provisions needs the President’s assent besides the approval of both the Houses,” Dinesh Rawat, who is arguing the case on behalf of Dr Parikshit Bansal, told Mail Today. 

The extension of retirement age was neither approved by the Petroleum Ministry nor the President as revealed by the RTI reply, Rawat added.  

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-3150406/NIPER-sold-patent-commercial-Pharma-company-Rs-20-lakh.html#ixzz3f7IojPWn 

Hindustan Times e-Paper

HC issues notice to NIPER director for continuation in service

1 Jul 2015Hindustan Times (Chandigarh)HT Correspondent chandigarh@hindustantimes.com

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday issued a notice to officiating director, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), SAS Nagar, KK Bhutani on a petition challenging his continuation in service.

The petitioner, Dr Parikshit Bansal, had alleged that all staff members at the institute were being given appointment letters with retirement age written as 62 years. However, in Bhutani’s case, the institute has made an exception and he was continuing in service despite being more than 62 years of age, said the petitioner.

The high court bench of justice AG Masih has issued notice to the secretary, department of pharmaceuticals, Government of India, and Dr Bhutani for December 11.

The petitioner’s counsel Dinesh Rawat had submitted that in 2013, months before Butani was to retire, the board of governors of the institute increased the retirement age from 62 to 65 years. But as per the NIPER Act, any change in provisions needed assent of the President of India.

And in this case, neither the retirement age of the officiating director was approved by the ministry nor by the President, the court was told, seeking removal of Bhutani.