NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended till September 15 the deadline for the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) to grant approvals to pharmacy colleges for admissions in the 2026-27 academic session, subject to an undertaking not to seek further extension in the coming years.
The order came on the basis of an application filed by PCI seeking to change the admission schedule set by the court in 2012 and amended in 2025. Under the current schedule, approvals for colleges and courses were required to be completed by June, with the admission process starting from August 1.
PCI told the court that delays in inspections, due to the kidneys and manpower shortages within the regulatory body, slowed down the approval process. It requested permission to extend the approval deadline until September 15 and allow the study to begin by October 15.
After accepting the petition, a bench of Justices B S Narasimha and Alok Aradhye said: “We deem it appropriate to allow the application. All states are directed to abide by this order.”
Meanwhile, the court recorded an undertaking from PCI Chairman Montu Kumar M Patel, who was present in the court, that the regulator would not seek similar extensions in the future.
In its affidavit, PCI stated: “The Applicant Board solemnly covenants before this Court that if the extension requested in the present application is granted, PCI shall strictly adhere to the schedule extended by this Court for this 2026-27 Academic Session and will not seek any additional extension with respect to this 2026-27 Academic Session and covenants to continue to follow the schedule set forth by Order dated September 8, 2025.”
As per the application, the Supreme Court in December 2012 fixed a timeline requiring completion of approvals for colleges and courses by May 31 every year. On September 8, 2025, the court extended the deadline to August 31 on PCI’s application.
Appearing before the ICC with lawyer Ajay Kumar Singh, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the extension was required this year due to exceptional circumstances.
The application stated that although timely efforts were made to complete the approval process, factors beyond the control of the regulatory body prevented the timeline from being adhered to. She added that refusing to extend the deadline would negatively affect students.
PCI said many colleges had not yet submitted the Standard Inspection Form (SIF), delaying inspections required to approve new institutions and additional courses for the 2026-27 academic year.
She also noted that the shortage in the number of inspectors made it “impossible” to complete the approval process by May 31, which was the deadline.
The regulatory body also informed the court that many states are continuing counseling and admission processes till August due to the re-examination of NEET-UG 2026 conducted on June 21.
The bench expressed concern over the repeated extension requests, saying: “Every year you will have the same reasons. We want you to put some system in place so that our orders are not misused. There is a need for a permanent mechanism so that extension is not granted every year.”
Mehta responded that the pledge made by PCI reflects its commitment to adhere to timelines in the coming years.
On a previous occasion, the court had criticized PCI for seeking an extension and observed that such an approach encourages private pharmacy colleges to ignore regulatory requirements.
Stressing the importance of adhering to the timelines imposed by the court, the court observed: “The fall in standards in education is due to the failure of regulatory authorities to adhere to the timelines. This has a cascading effect. How will private colleges do it if they do not adhere to it?”
This is not the first time the ICC has faced judicial scrutiny over its work.
Last month, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant made strong statements against the regulator, saying it should be given a “nod” as it had become a “liability”. The court also stressed the need to reform the statutory regulatory bodies that oversee admissions to vocational courses.
In its June 17 order, the bench said: “The CPC must be given approval. They have become a burden on society.”
The remarks were made during the hearing of the petition filed by PCI against the Delhi High Court’s May 29 order that struck down the December 2023 regulations requiring already accredited pharmacy institutions to obtain annual renewal of approval for their courses.
The Supreme Court also observed that the courts are increasingly exposed to petitions filed by colleges of pharmacy alleging delays by the Supreme Court in conducting inspections of new institutions.
PCI informed the court that around 400 institutions apply every year for approval to start new pharmacy courses. On average, the regulator conducts inspections of nearly 7,000 institutions annually, including new colleges and existing institutions seeking approval for additional courses.
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