India, Nov. 4 -- The first-year duration of the Diploma in Pharmacy course has been shortened to just five months this year due to delays in the approval process by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). As a result, institutes will have to complete an entire academic year's syllabus within a compressed time frame.

According to the Maharashtra State Board of Technical Education (MSBTE), the academic session for the first-year Diploma in Pharmacy started from October to April 18, 2026. The annual examination has been scheduled to begin on April 30, 2026.

The course, typically, spans 10 to 11 months, but this year's delay in PCI approvals postponed the admission process. Consequently, students will get only about five months, within which c...