Mumbai, Nov. 19 -- Nearly 33% of the seats in Maharashtra's pharmacy colleges, including both degree and postgraduate programmes, have remained vacant this year, raising concerns within the state's higher and technical education department. According to data from the state's Common Entrance Test Cell, 15,936 Bachelor of Pharmacy seats were left unfilled out of a total 48,878 available. In the Master of Pharmacy programme, 815 seats remained vacant out of 8,624. While pharmacy admissions were completed recently, officials noted that the number of vacancies has increased compared to last year, when around 14,000 B.Pharm seats were vacant. Experts said that excessive approvals for new colleges, despite limited demand, have created an oversupply of seats. A principal from a Mumbai college said that the state already has a large number of pharmacy institutions, yet the number of seats continues to rise every year. They added that after the Covid-19 pandemic, many colleges received permissions to increase intake, but interest in the course has not grown at the same pace. In April, state officials met with the Union Health Ministry and the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to request a halt on new approvals. However, the request did not materialise, and nearly 600 new seats were added this year. A senior official from the higher and technical education department said that several colleges do not provide quality education and have been issued notices to improve basic facilities. The state has also informed the Centre that private pharmacy colleges are growing rapidly in low-demand regions, often without proper infrastructure, which ultimately affects students' academic experience and job prospects. The technical education department has established a committee comprising academic and industry experts to develop a roadmap for pharmacy education from 2025 to 2031. Another principal from Thane pointed out that delays in the admission schedule are also a major reason for the rising vacancies. Unlike engineering and medical admissions, pharmacy admissions do not follow a fixed calendar. As a result, college approvals sometimes arrive as late as September, pushing back the entire process. "For the last four years, we have seen delays in first-year degree and diploma admissions. This affects the academic calendar because teachers and students have to rush through the syllabus," said the principal. This year, 54,921 students who passed the entrance exam were eligible for admission, but only 32,946 took up their seats. Demand for M.Pharm courses is also low. A senior academic explained that the industry prefers skilled graduates, and most students secure jobs immediately after B.Pharm. "Only those planning for research careers choose M.Pharm," they said....