MOHALI: Chandigarh: Dr. Anshu Kataria, President of the Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA) and Chairman of Aryans Group of Colleges, has welcomed the Central Government’s initiatives to strengthen the education sector, particularly appreciating the National Education Policy (NEP) as a progressive, student-centric framework promoting flexibility, credit recognition, and academic progression.
Expressing concern over the year-back provision under Clause 16 (Academic Progression) of the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) regulations, Dr. Kataria stated that the clause is inconsistent with the spirit of NEP. He observed that forcing students to lose an entire academic year due to backlogs, without recognising earned credits, undermines the objectives of modern educational reform.
He added that while most regulatory bodies and universities have moved away from rigid year-back systems in line with NEP principles, the PCI clause urgently requires reframing and rationalisation to safeguard student welfare and continuity of learning.
Dr. Kataria further noted that the Federation of Self-Financed Technical Institutions (FSFTI) has also urged the removal of the PCI year-back clause to ensure alignment with NEP. He reiterated that regulatory reforms must support academic progression, skill development, and holistic student growth.