The Standing Committee on Chemicals & Fertilizers (2024–25) of the 18th Lok Sabha, chaired by Kirti Azad Jha, has tabled its Eighth Report on the Demand for Grants (2025–26). Among its many observations, the Committee turned a spotlight on the National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs), particularly their placement records.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP) presented data on student placements across all seven NIPERs, claiming progress in efforts to secure jobs for graduates. At first glance, the numbers appear encouraging. But a closer look exposes glaring gaps, institutional complacency, and a troubling lack of foresight.
Since inception, 10,974 students have graduated from all NIPERs. Nearly half—4,890 students—came from NIPER Mohali alone, underscoring its position as the mother institution. By contrast, the other NIPERs have produced far fewer graduates: 1,217 from Ahmedabad, 863 from Guwahati, 662 from Hajipur, 1,852 from Hyderabad, 742 from Kolkata, and 748 from Rae Bareli.
This imbalance is natural, given Mohali’s seniority. But what is startling is how some of these younger, smaller NIPERs are now being showcased as models in placement performance, while Mohali—an institution with more than 25 years of existence—faces criticism.
Take NIPER Hajipur. Established in 2007, it set up a Training and Placement Cell (TPC) only in 2021, 14 years after its inception. Unsurprisingly, placement rates improved once this basic requirement was in place. For the 2022–24 batch, the placement percentage touched 95%. Admirable, yes. But it raises a simple question: why did it take a national institute more than a decade to recognize the need for a TPC, something considered elementary in any professional institution?
The Committee applauded NIPER Rae Bareli, where 97% of students secured jobs and the rest pursued higher studies. On paper, it reads as 100% absorption. But since its inception, only 748 students have graduated from Rae Bareli. Similarly, NIPER Guwahati claims 100% placement, but just 863 students have passed out since its birth. Percentages sound impressive; absolute numbers tell another story.
At NIPER Mohali, 235 out of 262 students from the 2022–24 batch were placed—an 89.7% success rate. The DoP highlighted that 80 companies visited the campus. Yet, this statistic feels hollow when juxtaposed against India’s pharmaceutical landscape, home to over 10,000 manufacturing units, of which 3,000 are medium and large-scale. Why then do the premier institute’s placement rates still fall short of expectations?
The Parliamentary Committee expressed hope that Mohali, Hajipur, Kolkata, and others would “follow the laudable achievements” of Guwahati and Hyderabad. But such comparisons are unfair and misleading. How can nascent institutes with fewer than a thousand graduates be held up as models for Mohali, which has produced nearly 5,000 alumni and carries the legacy of being the flagship NIPER?
As a former Director of NIPER Mohali, I find these observations deeply unsettling. The real issue is not Mohali underperforming, but a systemic failure to build strong industry linkages across all NIPERs, despite India being the “pharmacy of the world.”
Instead of indulging in percentage games and superficial comparisons, policymakers must confront the hard truth: placements at NIPERs are still not commensurate with India’s pharmaceutical potential. Every NIPER should have robust TPCs from day one, deeper engagement with industry, and accountability mechanisms to ensure results.
The Parliamentary Committee’s report is a wake-up call—not for Mohali alone, but for the entire NIPER ecosystem. Unless structural reforms are made, India risks wasting the promise of institutions meant to power its pharmaceutical future.
