NIPER unit at IDPL Hyderabad facility likely

Hyderabad: The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) is likely to set up its unit at Hyderabad using the R&D facility of the ailing Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL).

The senior Advisor to Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA), Dr S.S. Varaprasad, told presspersons here that the Union Government has in principle agreed to set up a unit of NIPER or an institute of higher learning of pharmaceutical education on the lines of NIPER at Hyderabad.

'The move is to meet the increasing demand for highly trained manpower for the growing production and R&D requirements of the pharma industry in the State,' he said.

The Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, recently announced that the Government proposes to set up five more NIPER institutions in Hyderabad, Hazipur, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Guwahati. Dr Varaprasad, who is one of the 11 members of the high-powered committee appointed by the Union Government, said the committee would submit a detailed project report for the expansion of NIPER institutes in the country during the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period.

Stating that the committee would submit its report to the Government by November 30, he said the Union Government would subsequently amend the Act concerned to pave way for the expansion of NIPER institutes across the country.

The Chandigarh-based NIPER, an autonomous body under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, is conceived to provide leadership in pharmaceutical sciences and related areas not only within the country but also to the countries in South East Asia, South Asia and Africa. 'Setting up of a NIPER institute at Hyderabad would go a long way in meeting the aspirations and demands of Andhra Pradesh for training the required manpower to carryout clinical research and drug discovery in the field of pharmaceutical sciences and technology,' Dr Varaprasad said.

The BDMA has asked the Government to allot another 50 acres to the existing 50 acres R&D facility of IDPL at Hyderabad. Dr Varaprasad said the BDMA has recommended using IDPL's R&D of around 80,000 sq ft of built-up area as a centralised R&D facility for small and medium pharma enterprises in the State.

'The BDMA has also suggested developing four-five streams of educational programmes at the proposed NIPER institute at Hyderabad through public-private-partnership (PPP) route. These include capacity building for around 86 pharmacy colleges in the State, offering distance education in pharmacy, educational programmes in environmental sciences and clinical research and collaboration with global universities. We are confident of roping in leading pharma companies into these initiatives through PPP route,' Dr Varaprasad said.