The Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has announced an overhaul of the ranking and rating system for pharmacy education institutes in India. In circulars issued on April 29, 2025, the PCI declared its partnership with the Quality Council of India (QCI) to implement this new system.
The QCI, an autonomous body established by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will collaborate with PCI to develop a “cutting-edge” ranking and rating system that emphasizes both regulatory compliance and educational outcomes. This initiative aims to move beyond a simple compliance-driven model and foster a culture of excellence within pharmacy education.
The new ranking system will apply to both undergraduate (UG) programs and Diploma in Pharmacy (D.Pharm) courses. The PCI has already taken steps to ensure the system’s robustness and transparency, including pilot-testing draft criteria and parameters with select pharmacy institutes across different regions. For the UG program ranking, the collaboration has formulated 11 criteria and associated parameters for evaluation.
Key Actions and Timelines for Pharmacy Colleges
Both circulars outline specific actions and timelines for pharmacy colleges to participate in the ranking and rating process for the academic year 2025-26. Institutions approved under section 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948, are directed to:
- Attend training sessions conducted by QCI.
- Upload necessary data to the online portal according to QCI guidelines.
- Provide access to QCI/authorized assessors for on-site verification.
- Adhere to the timelines set by QCI and PCI.
- Pay the ranking fee to QCI online.
The ranking fees differ for UG and D.Pharm programs. The fee for UG programs is INR 1 lakh plus GST, while the fee for D.Pharm programs is INR 50,000 plus GST.
The circulars also provide detailed schedules for the ranking and rating process:
| Activity | D.Pharm Colleges | UG Program Colleges |
|---|---|---|
| Issuance of letter to colleges | May 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 |
| Registration & Fee Payment | May 15-30, 2025 | May 15-30, 2025 |
| Application Submission | June 1 – July 7, 2025 | June 1 – July 7, 2025 |
| Training (Assessors & Colleges) | June 1 – June 30, 2025 | June 1 – July 7, 2025 |
| Desktop Ranking | June 1 – June 25, 2025 | June 1 – July 15, 2025 |
| Onsite Ranking | July 1, 2025 onwards | August 1, 2025 onwards |
The PCI emphasizes the importance of prompt cooperation from all institutions. For further inquiries or clarifications the following contacts have been provided:
A. Name of the person- Vibhor Kapur
Deputy Director NABET
Mob- 9958579097
Email. vibhor.nabet@qcin.org.
B. Name of the person- Nikhil Relia
Deputy Director NABET
Mob- 8588811617
Email. Nikhil.nabet@qcin.org
