Lok Sabha Question No. 3668 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-16
Subject: Strengthening of Pharmaceutical Education and Research
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Raksha Nikhil Khadse

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3668 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 16 th  July 2019

## Strengthening of Pharmaceutical Education and Research

## 3668. SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  Research  &  Development  work  in  the  field  of  Pharmaceuticals  is  facing constraints in establishing the infrastructural development;
- (b)  the  details  of  the  infrastructure  availability  for  the  seven  National  Institutes  of Pharmaceuticals Education & Research (NIPERs) set up under the NIPER Act, 1988; and
- (c) the steps being initiated by the Government for strengthening this sector?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS (SHRI D. V. SADANANDA GOWDA)

- (a) The Research & Development work in the field of Pharmaceuticals is being carried out various Ministries/Departments/Agencies including the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Department of Health & Family Welfare, Department of Biotechnology,  Department  of  Health  Research,  Ministry  of  Science  &  Technology, Ministry  of  Ayush,  Department  of  Higher  Education,  Council  of  Scientific  &  Industrial Research, Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  etc.  under  their  various  schemes  and programmes. Lack of coordination amongst various agencies carrying out research & development is a constraint.
- (b) The  Government  has  set  up  seven  National  Institutes of  Pharmaceutical Education  &  Research  (NIPERs)  at  Ahmedabad,  Guwahati,  Hajipur,  Hyderabad, Kolkata, Raebareli and SAS Nagar (Mohali) as Institutes of national importance. These Institutes  provide  postgraduate  and  doctorate  education  and  conduct  research  in various  specializations  of  pharmaceutics.  NIPER  SAS  Nagar  (Mohali)  was  the  first Institute to be set up in the year 1998 and it has a fully residential campus, well qualified regular  faculty  and  state  of  art  laboratories.    In  case  of  other  six  NIPERs,  the Expenditure  Finance  Committee  in  March,  2018  has  approved  Rs.  959.53  cr.  for construction of regular campuses of NIPERs at Ahmedabad and Guwahati and setting up of well-equipped laboratories and create/ fill regular faculty and non-faculty posts in all six NIPERs. Presently, NIPERs at SAS Nagar (Mohali), Hyderabad and Ahmedabad are ranked as number three, six and nine respectively under the 'Pharmacy' category in the  National  Institutional  Ranking  Framework  (NIRF)  2019  of  the  Ministry  of  Human Resource Development.

(c) In  order  to  periodically  review  and  coordinate  research  being  carried  out  by various Ministries/ Department/ Agencies in a collaborative, synchronized and synergized way for optimum utilization of funds allocated for the purpose and to ensure no overlapping and duplication of efforts and resources, the  Government  has constituted an InterDepartmental Committee (IDC) on 9 th January, 2019 to institutionalize  a  robust  mechanism  to  ensure  economy,  efficiency,  effectiveness  and transparency in the arena of Pharmaceutical research.

*****