Mumbai:In a major crackdown on regulatory lapses, the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) has prohibited 89 pharmacy colleges across Maharashtra, including 71 diploma and 18 degree institutions, from admitting students for the 2025-26 academic session. According to a recent media report in the Times of India, the move follows three years of inspections by PCI and state technical education bodies, which exposed serious violations ranging from absence of fire and safety certificates and missing occupancy approvals to poorly equipped laboratories, infrastructure deficiencies, and unqualified faculty members. In several cases, colleges attempted to submit certificates issued by unrecognized local bodies or private agencies, which were dismissed as invalid by inspectors. After issuing showcause notices and conducting follow-up inspections, the PCI released a circular formally declaring these colleges “Not to make admission” for the upcoming academic year. The affected institutes are spread across districts including Thane, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Nashik, and Solapur. The council underlined that the action was essential to protect students and uphold minimum academic standards in pharmacy education. Officials noted that despite repeated warnings, many institutions failed to rectify their shortcomings. Times of Indiareports that this sweeping decision is also expected to delay the state’s overall pharmacy admission process, as authorities will need to recast the seat matrix and students will be left to pick from revised options.