Utkal University in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Aug. 26: Poor response to the master of pharmacy programme at Utkal University here has forced authorities to contemplate reintroduction of BPharm course. The course was discontinued in 2008 due to acute staff shortage.

Sources said, this year, varsity authorities approached Odisha Joint Entrance Examination (OJEE) officials at the last minute seeking candidates for MPharm. As a result, they found only 10 takers for 60 seats. Last year, nearly 50 per cent seats had been filled up.

“Students usually prefer sticking to one institute for bachelors and masters degree in technical subjects. Unless we start BPharm course, it will become very tough to find applicants for MPharm from next year. As it is the subject is losing favour with students because the industry is witnessing a recession and jobs are shrinking,” said postgraduate council chairman P.K. Mishra.

Head of the pharmaceutical sciences department professor P.K. Panda welcomed the proposal to introduce B.Pharm again, but said the higher authorities of the university needed to convince the state government to approve more teaching posts to run the programme.

“We are managing the department with just eight teachers. Prior to 2008, we had asked the state government to sanction 22 posts but they did not do that. Consequently, the All-India Council of Technical Education and Pharmacy Council of India pointed out deficiencies in teaching staff strength and without their affiliation, we could not continue the BPharm course,” said Panda, suggesting that the number of seats in MPharm should also be reduced.

On the other hand, students attributed the lukewarm response for MPharm course to the apathetic attitude of Utkal authorities and “faulty policy” adopted by OJEE officials.

“Our university authorities expressed interest to enrol MPharm candidates out of the OJEE pool barely 10 hours before the first round of counselling was scheduled to begin. That is why a lot of students did not get the chance to pick Utkal University in their list of preferred institutions,” said a second-year MPharm student at the university.

Other students said that during the second phase of counselling, the OJEE officials included a list of only private institutions in the MPharm registration form, ignoring Utkal University as well as other government pharmacy colleges. “That is the reason no more than 10 students, who had already taken admission, got an opportunity to apply to Utkal,” another student said.