India, Sept. 27 -- The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has barred 89 pharmacy colleges in Maharashtra from admitting students to first-year courses for the academic year 2025-26, as they failed to comply with mandatory norms.

According to a circular issued on Friday, the decision was taken following a detailed review by the Higher and Technical Education Department. Of the 89 targeted institutions, 71 are diploma-level colleges, and 18 are degree-level colleges.

The issue dates back to the pandemic years, when interest in pharmacy courses surged. In response, the PCI approved 220 new diploma colleges and 92 degree colleges between 2022 and 2025.

However, inspections conducted later by the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) reveal...