Pharmacy admissions put on hold in state, first round likely only by Sept-end

Pune: The admission process for Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) and Diploma in Pharmacy (DPharm) courses has been put on hold, with the Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell citing pending approval of pharmacy colleges by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). The first admission round is now likely to begin only by Sept-end, delaying the start of the academic session for thousands of aspirants.The CET Cell had opened registration for pharmacy bachelor and diploma courses on July 31 and closed it on Aug 23. A provisional merit list was subsequently published, and the final merit list was scheduled for release on Sept 3. However, the Cell cancelled the next stage of the admission process, citing pending Supreme Court proceedings.According to the CET Cell, the PCI has until Sept 15 to decide whether to grant or deny approval to pharmacy colleges. The admission process cannot be finalised until the status of these colleges and the number of approved seats is clear.Once that deadline passes, the Cell will need to finalise the list of eligible colleges and prepare the seat matrix before starting admission rounds — pushing the first round to towards Sept-end. Further delays could even push the process into the Diwali period.Students, meanwhile, are anxious as they wait to finalise their college choices and plan their academic year.“We have completed the required process and are now waiting for clarity on when the rounds will start,” Kashish Muchchal, a student from Nashik, said.Aditya Sharma, a student from Pune, said the delay could affect students’ academic planning as classes would begin late. “Students need a clear schedule so that they can plan their college, accommodation and other arrangements,” he said.Meanwhile, the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) has extended the registration deadline for pharmacy diploma admissions until Sept 15.The CET Cell is expected to announce a revised admission schedule after PCI completes its approval process and the final seat matrix is available.