Government to Open More Pharma Institutes Across India

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers and Steel Ramvilas Paswan announced that central government has plans of opening more pharmaceutical institutes across India, in order to promote and encourage studies and research in pharmaceutical sciences.

Paswan told reporters on Friday that his ministry would set up four new institutes on the lines of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in Hajipur in Bihar, Kolkata in West Bengal, Ahmedabad in Gujarat and Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

In view of the fast growth of the pharmaceutical industry and the increasing foreign investment in this sector, the government had decided to set up more NIPERs for in-depth research, said the minister.

He said the setting up of NIPER at Hajipur in Vaishali district would cost about Rs.1.5 billion.

'The Bihar government has agreed to provide about 100 acres of land,' he added.

Till now there is only one NIPER, spread over 130 acres of land and located at Mohali in Punjab. The institute has been declared as an 'Institute of National Importance' by the central government.

It is seen as a leader in pharmaceutical sciences and related areas not only in the country, but also in South-East Asia, South Asia and Africa. NIPER is a member of the Association of Indian Universities and the Association of Commonwealth Universities.

Paswan said his ministry would bring 354 essential drugs under the Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO) in addition to the existing 74 price-controlled drugs.

Source: IANS News