Infrastructure and manpower crises continue to plague the Government Pharmacy Institute in Agamkuan, and it runs the risk of losing its recognition from the Pharmacy Council of India.

Last year, a team from the council visited the institute's campus for renewal of its recognition. The team granted the recognition but pointed out manpower deficiencies and lack of proper infrastructure.

A council team is likely to come on another visit this month.

"We do not have pharmaceutical analysis and biochemistry laboratories at the college," said a BPharma student, requesting anonymity. "These are helpful in making medicines. Even after getting a BPharma degree from this college, we might face difficulties in getting jobs because we are not able to test drugs or do similar work required in the pharmaceutical industry."

The institute, established in 1958, is the country's oldest pharmacy institute. It only offered a diploma course till 2008, when a bachelor's degree course was introduced. There are 60 seats each in the diploma and bachelor degree courses now.

"The classes of four batches of BPharma (degree) course and two batches of DPharma (diploma) course are somehow running out of one classroom. The college administration is forced to even conduct classes in the laboratory," said another degree course student said:

The Pharmacy Council of India pointed out all these factors last year, including the faculty crunch. The institute has 29 sanctioned posts but only two permanent teachers.

Principal Shailendra Kumar admitted the problems.

"The college has two permanent teachers. We have two guest faculty and eight contract teachers," he said. "The pharmacy council team had expressed concern about the lack of permanent teachers but the problem has not yet been addressed by the government."

He added: "Last August chief minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated a new building on the campus but there is not even a chair that we can start classes there. No equipment has been bought for the laboratories too."

If the council derecognises the courses, students will not be able to get government jobs. The courses will not be in danger because the institute is affiliated to the All India Council For Technical Education.

"The students will be able to apply for only private jobs but not register with the State Pharmacy Council and so will be ineligible for government jobs," said principal Shailendra.