In Brief
Two pharmacy colleges sought directions to be granted affiliation for B. Pharma courses for the academic year 2020-21. The Pharmacy Council of India had approved both colleges with specified admission capacities. However, the state government's 2020 policy restricted pharmacy colleges to only two per district, leading to the University rejecting the petitioners' affiliation applications. The High Court had already set aside this restrictive policy. The Supreme Court held that in pharmacy education, the Pharmacy Act, 1948 and Pharmacy Council of India norms prevail over state policy. Since the petitioners had PCI approval and the state had granted conditional affiliation, the Court directed the University to grant affiliation and permit students to sit for examinations.
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