Dr Ranghuram Rao Akkinepally
The 73rd meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), scheduled for September 20, 2018, could have marked a turning point in institutional accountability—had it not been obstructed by those in power. As the Director of the Institute at the time, I submitted a Confidential Agenda…
From 2007 to 2022, a shadow regime of bureaucrats functioned at the helm of the National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs), making critical decisions worth thousands of crores, without legal sanction under the very law that governs these Institutes of National Importance. The NIPER Act, 1998, did not empower them, yet they controlled…
I, Dr. Raghuram Rao Akkinepally, initiated disciplinary action against Mr. P.J.P. Singh Waraich, who is presently serving as the Registrar. However, no inquiry was conducted into the issues that were listed in his charge sheet, despite being supported by documentary evidence. Dr. V. M. Katoch, as the Chairman, and Mr. Rajneesh Tingal, Joint Secretary, Department…
The Indian pharmaceutical education and research ecosystem has long been anchored by the National Institutes of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPERs), established under the NIPER Act of 1998. These institutes were envisioned as centres of excellence, tasked with training high-quality professionals and driving innovation in the pharmaceutical sector. However, systemic lapses, bureaucratic interference, and questionable…
I, Dr. Raghuram Rao Akkinepally, took action against Mr. PJP Singh Waraich, then Registrar of NIPER Mohali, for various acts of omission and commission. Following due process, Mr. Waraich was suspended. However, within a few hours, Dr. V.M. Katoch, then Chairman of the Board of Governors, unilaterally revoked the suspension. This hasty move followed my…
In a country where merit-based academic pursuits are touted as the cornerstone of excellence, the recently released information brochure of the NIPER Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) 2025 by NIPER Mohali raises troubling questions about transparency, planning, and institutional responsibility. The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali — the designated Organizing Institute for…
In the annals of institutional inertia, few stories stand out quite like the one that unfolded at NIPER Mohali during my tenure as Director. I, Dr. Raghuram Rao Akkinepally, tried to sow the seeds of innovation, specifically through various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) aimed at enhancing academic and healthcare infrastructure. What followed was a masterclass…
Come April 22, 2025, Dr. Dulal Panda, Director of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, has been directed to appear in person before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The directive comes in a long-drawn legal battle that’s symptomatic of the bureaucratic rot plaguing one of India’s premier scientific institutes. On…
In a significant development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has breathed new life into a long-pending legal battle involving employees of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali. The Division Bench, comprising Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Meenakshi Mehta, while hearing LPA No. 1022 of 2025 filed by Nisha Sharma…
In the course of public administration, it is not uncommon to encounter resistance, disagreement, or even bureaucratic obstacles. But every once in a while, one is faced with a situation so steeped in manipulation, personal agendas, and blatant misuse of institutional processes that it demands to be documented, if only to expose the dark underbelly…
