India, Aug. 29 -- The Higher and Technical Education Department of Maharashtra launched a sweeping action on August 27 against pharmacy colleges that failed to meet the mandatory standards prescribed by the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI). The move follows mounting concerns about deteriorating educational quality in the sector and repeated warnings to established institutions.

On July 29, Higher and Technical Education minister Chandrakant Patil announced the directive after a high-level review meeting of pharmacy colleges that received recognition between 2022 to 2025. The meeting revealed widespread irregularities and a lack of compliance with the PCI's Standard Inspection Format (SIF), which outlines essential infrastructure, safety, ...