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Future Pharmacist Seeking Guidance: Best Colleges and Requirements in India

Dr Nagarajan J S K

Dr Nagarajan J S K   |2577 Answers  |Ask -

NEET, Medical, Pharmacy Careers - Answered on Jul 13, 2024

Dr Nagarajan JSK is an associate professor and former head of medical research at the JSS College of Pharmacy, Ooty.
He has over 30 years of experience in counselling students towards making the right career choices, particularly in the field of pharmacy.
As the JSS College placement officer, he has helped aspiring professionals prepare for and crack job interviews.
Dr Nagarajan holds a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences from the JSS Academy of Higher Education And Research, Mysore, and is currently guiding five PhD scholars.... more
Asked by Anonymous - Jul 11, 2024Hindi
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Career

What are some of the best colleges to study pharmacy in India after class 12? What is the approximate fee and requirements for this course?

Ans: Hi,
Greetings.
There are many top colleges available across India, with at least 4-5 in every state. After Class 12, three different programs are available in the pharmacy stream:
Program Duration Tuition Fees (approx. & Requirements (Eligibility)
depend upon the colleges)
Diploma in Pharmacy 2 years INR 4000 - 65000 Minimum qualification: A pass in 10+2 exam (regular
science academic stream) with Physics, Chemistry
and Biology or Mathematics. or
Any other qualification approved by the Pharmacy
Council of India as equivalent to the above exam.
Bachelor of Pharmacy 4 years INR 25,000 - 2,50,000 Pass in 10+2 exam conducted by the Board of Higher
Education, with English as one of the subjects and
Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics (P.C.M) and or
Biology (P.C.B / P.C.M.B.) as optional subjects
individually.
Pharm D 6 Years INR. 3,00,000 A pass in 10+2 examination / A pass in D.Pharm

"Hope this provides the clarification you need for your questions."
Thank you.
Career

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Dr Nagarajan J S K

Dr Nagarajan J S K   |2577 Answers  |Ask -

NEET, Medical, Pharmacy Careers - Answered on Aug 13, 2024

Career
Sir can you give me full information of b pharmacy course after 12th ? Step to step
Ans: ADMISSION:
Eligibility criteria: (EXTRACTED FROM PCI, NEW DELHI).

3. Duration of the course. – B. Pharm: The duration of the course shall be four academic years (annual/semester) full time with each academic year spread over a period of not less than two hundred working days for annual pattern and hundred working days for each semester.


4. Minimum qualification for admission to –
The Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pham.) Course Regulations, 2014 No. 14-154/ 2010- PCI.—In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 10 and 18 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 (8 of 1948), the Pharmacy Council of India, with the approval of the Central Government hereby makes the following regulations; namely– CHAPTER-I 1. Short title and commencement (1) These regulations may be called the Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) Course Regulations, 2014. (2) They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the official Gazette.

2. B. Pharm shall consist of a certificate, having passed the course of study and examination as prescribed in these regulations, for the purpose of registration as a pharmacist to practice the profession under the Pharmacy Act, 1948. CHAPTER-II

3. Duration of the course. – B. Pharm: The duration of the course shall be four academic years (annual/semester) full time with each academic year spread over a period of not less than two hundred working days for annual pattern and hundred working days for each semester.

4. Minimum qualification for admission to – A. First year B. Pharm – A pass in any of the following examinations -

i. Candidate shall have passed 10+2 examination conducted by the respective state/central government authorities recognized as equivalent to 10+2 examination by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) with English as one of the subjects and Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics/Biology as optional subjects individually. “However, the students possessing 10+2 qualification from non-formal and non-class rooms based schooling such as National Institute of Open Schooling, open school systems of States etc. shall not be eligible for admission to B.Pharm Course.”

ii. Any other qualification approved by the Pharmacy Council of India as equivalent to any of the above examinations. Provided that a student should complete the age of 17 years on or before 31st December of the year of admission to the course. Provided that there shall be reservation of seats for the students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes in accordance with the instructions issued by the Central Government/State Government/Union Territory Administration as the case may be from time to time.


6. Course of study. – The course of study for B. Pharm shall include the subjects, number of hours in a week devoted to each subject for its teaching in theory, practical and tutorial as may be prescribed by the Pharmacy Council of India from time to time.

7. Practical Training: The student is required to undergo practical training of 150 hrs either in (A) Pharmacy Practice (Hospital/Community pharmacy) or (B) Pharmaceutical and allied Industries spread over a period of not less than one month during the course of study after second year.

8. Syllabus. – The syllabus for each subject of study shall be as prescribed by the Pharmacy Council of India from time to time.

14. Minimum marks for passing examination.? A student shall not be declared to have passed examination unless he or she secures at least 50% marks in each of the subjects separately in the theory and practical examinations, including sessional marks. The students securing 60% marks or above in aggregate in all subjects in a single attempt at B. Pharm shall be declared to have passed in the First Class. Students securing 75% marks or above in any subject or subjects shall be declared to have passed with distinction in the subject or those subjects provided he / she passes in all the subjects in a single attempt.

course: 14 (a). Eligibility for the promotion to the next year. – All the students who have appeared for all the subjects and passed the First year Annual Examination are Eligible for promotion to the second year and so on. However, failure in more than two subjects shall debar him /her from promotion to the next year classes.

15. Approval of examinations.? Examinations mentioned in regulations 10 to 12 and 14 shall be held by the examining authority which shall be approved by the Pharmacy Council of India under sub-section (2) of section 12 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948. Such approval shall be granted only if the examining authority concerned fulfills the conditions as specified in Appendix–(B) to these regulations.

16. Certificate of passing examination.? Every student who has passed the examinations for the B. Pharm shall be granted a certificate by the examining authority.

ENTRANCE TEST:
In order to secure admission, candidates are required to take the entrance test administered by either government or private universities. Admission is granted based on the candidates' scores.

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Dr Nagarajan J S K

Dr Nagarajan J S K   |2577 Answers  |Ask -

NEET, Medical, Pharmacy Careers - Answered on Mar 22, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Mar 20, 2025Hindi
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Career
Sir what are some of the top colleges in India to study pharmacy after class 12? What is the eligibility criteria? Is NEET compulsory?
Ans: Hi,

I’m not sure where you’re from, but according to the NIRF, the top colleges are located in Ooty, Mysuru, Manipal, and Mumbai. In most states, NEET eligibility is not required for admission, but state-level exams are necessary. Many deemed-to-be universities conduct their own entrance exams, so if you’re interested in joining one of these universities, you can reach out to them for further information.
Eligibility Critieria:(https://gurus.rediff.com/question/qdtl/career/give-neet-exam-12th-maharashtra-board-marks-less-than-150/5186648)

Minimum qualification for admission to –(extracted from Pharmacy council of India.)
A(after HSC). First year B. Pharm – A pass in any of the following examinations - i. Candidate shall have passed 10+2 examination conducted by the respective state/central government authorities recognized as equivalent to 10+2 examination by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) with English as one of the subjects and Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics/Biology as optional subjects individually. “However, the students possessing 10+2 qualification from non-formal and non-class rooms based schooling such as National Institute of Open Schooling, open school systems of States etc. shall not be eligible for admission to B.Pharm Course.” ii. Any other qualification approved by the Pharmacy Council of India as equivalent to any of the above examinations. Provided that a student should complete the age of 17 years on or before 31st December of the year of admission to the course. Provided that there shall be reservation of seats for the students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes in accordance with the instructions issued by the Central Government/State Government/Union Territory Administration as the case may be from time to time. B. B. Pharm lateral entry (to second year/third semester) - A pass in D. Pharm course from an institution approved by the Pharmacy Council of India under section 12 of the Pharmacy Act

Best wishes.
POOCHO. LIFE CHANGE KARO!

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Nayagam P

Nayagam P P  |10854 Answers  |Ask -

Career Counsellor - Answered on Dec 14, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 12, 2025Hindi
Career
Hello, I am currently in Class 12 and preparing for JEE. I have not yet completed even 50% of the syllabus properly, but I aim to score around '110' marks. Could you suggest an effective strategy to achieve this? I know the target is relatively low, but I have category reservation, so it should be sufficient.
Ans: With category reservation (SC/ST/OBC), a score of 110 marks is absolutely achievable and realistic. Based on 2025 data, SC candidates qualified with approximately 60-65 percentile, and ST candidates with 45-55 percentile. Your target requires scoring just 37-40% marks, which is significantly lower than general category standards. This gives you a genuine advantage. Immediate Action Plan (December 2025 - January 2026): 4-5 Weeks. Week 1-2: High-Weightage Chapter Focus. Stop trying to complete the entire syllabus. Instead, focus exclusively on high-scoring chapters that carry maximum weightage: Physics (Modern Physics, Current Electricity, Work-Power-Energy, Rotation, Magnetism), Chemistry (Chemical Bonding, Thermodynamics, Coordination Compounds, Electrochemistry), and Maths (Integration, Differentiation, Vectors, 3D Geometry, Probability). These chapters alone can yield 80-100+ marks if practiced properly. Ignore topics you haven't studied yet. Week 2-3: Previous Year Questions (PYQs). Solve JEE Main PYQs from the last 10 years (2015-2025) for chapters you're studying. PYQs reveal question patterns and difficulty levels. Focus on understanding why answers are correct, not memorizing solutions. Week 3-4: Mock Tests & Error Analysis. Take 2-3 full-length mock tests weekly under timed conditions. This is crucial because mock tests build exam confidence, reveal time management weaknesses, and error analysis prevents repeated mistakes. Maintain an error notebook documenting every mistake—this becomes your revision guide. Week 4-5: Revision & Formula Consolidation. Create concise formula sheets for each subject. Spend 30 minutes daily reviewing formulas and key concepts. Avoid learning new topics entirely at this stage. Study Schedule (Daily): 7-8 Hours. Morning (5:00-7:30 AM): Physics concepts + 30 PYQs. Break (7:30-8:30 AM): Breakfast & rest. Mid-morning (8:30-11:00): Chemistry concepts + 20 PYQs. Lunch (11:00-1:00 PM): Full break. Afternoon (1:00-3:30 PM): Maths concepts + 30 PYQs. Evening (3:30-5:00 PM): Mock test or error review. Night (7:00-9:00 PM): Formula revision & weak area focus. Strategic Approach for 110 Marks: Attempt only confident questions and avoid negative marking by skipping difficult questions. Do easy questions first—in the exam, attempt all basic-level questions before attempting medium or hard ones. Focus on quality over quantity as 30 well-practiced questions beat 100 random questions. Master NCERT concepts as most JEE questions test NCERT concepts applied smartly. April 2026 Session Advantage. If January doesn't deliver desired results, April gives you a second chance with 3+ months to prepare. Use January as a practice attempt to identify weak areas, then focus intensively on those in February-March. Realistic Timeline: January 2026 target is 95-110 marks (achievable with focused 50% syllabus), while April 2026 target is 120-130 marks (with complete syllabus + experience). Your reservation benefit means you need only approximately 90-105 marks to qualify and secure admission to quality engineering colleges. Stop comparing yourself to general category cutoffs. Most Importantly: Consistency beats perfection. Study 6 focused hours daily rather than 12 distracted hours. Your 110-mark target is realistic—execute this plan with discipline. All the BEST for Your JEE 2026!

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Dr Dipankar

Dr Dipankar Dutta  |1840 Answers  |Ask -

Tech Careers and Skill Development Expert - Answered on Dec 13, 2025

Asked by Anonymous - Dec 12, 2025
Career
Dear Sir/Madam, I am currently a 1st year UG student studying engineering in Sairam Engineering College, But there the lack of exposure and strict academics feels so rigid and I don't like it that. It's like they don't gaf about skills but just wants us to memorize things and score a good CGPA, the only skill they want is you to memorize things and pass, there's even special class for students who don't perform well in academics and it is compulsory for them to attend or else the student and his/her parents needs to face authorities who lashes out. My question is when did engineering became something that requires good academics instead of actual learning and skill set. In sairam they provides us a coding platform in which we need to gain the required points for each semester which is ridiculous cuz most of the students here just look at the solution to code instead of actual debugging. I am passionate about engineering so I want to learn and experiment things instead of just memorizing, so I actually consider dropping out and I want to give jee a try and maybe viteee , srmjeee But i heard some people say SRM may provide exposure but not that good in placements. I may not be excellent at studies but my marks are decent. So gimme some insights about SRM and recommend me other colleges/universities which are good at exposure
Ans: First — your frustration is valid

What you are experiencing at Sairam is not engineering, it is rote-based credential production.

“When did engineering become memorizing instead of learning?”

Sadly, this shift happened decades ago in most Tier-3 private colleges in India.

About “coding platforms & points” – your observation is sharp

You are absolutely right:

Mandatory coding points → students copy solutions

Copying ≠ learning

Debugging & thinking are missing

This is pseudo-skill education — it looks modern but produces shallow engineers.

The fact that you noticed this in 1st year already puts you ahead of 80% students.

Should you DROP OUT and prepare for JEE / VITEEE / SRMJEEE?

Although VIT/SRM is better than Sairam Engineering College, but you may face the same problem. You will not face this type of problem only in some top IITs, but getting seat in those IITs will be difficult.
Instead of dropping immediately, consider:

???? Strategy:

Stay enrolled (degree security)

Reduce emotional investment in college rules

Use:

GitHub

Open-source projects

Hackathons

Internships (remote)

Hardware / software self-projects

This way:

College = formality

Learning = self-driven

Risk = minimal

...Read more

DISCLAIMER: The content of this post by the expert is the personal view of the rediffGURU. Investment in securities market are subject to market risks. Read all the related document carefully before investing. The securities quoted are for illustration only and are not recommendatory. Users are advised to pursue the information provided by the rediffGURU only as a source of information and as a point of reference and to rely on their own judgement when making a decision. RediffGURUS is an intermediary as per India's Information Technology Act.

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