Kerala to lose pharma institute

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the government yet to finalise the project site, the proposal to set up National Institute for Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in the state is hanging fire. NIPER was envisaged with the objective of developing centres of excellence for advanced research in Pharmaceutical Sciences.  Chief  minister Pinarayi Vijayan had received a clear assurance from the Centre on granting NIPER to Kerala during his first visit to Delhi to meet Prime Minister and other ministers. But since then the decision on finalising the site is pending.

A section of politicians want the Centre in Malabar region. However, according to norms NIPER can be allotted only to state Capitals. Only in Capital city region of Kerala can be considered for the project. According to sources, one of  the proposed sites suggested for NIPER in Kerala included Bio 360  Life  Science Park  at Thonnakkal Thiruvananthapuram,  Agasthyavanam Biological  park near Neyyar and Peppara area. It is also felt that if the services of premier institutions like TBGRI,  SCT Poojappura , Ayurveda Research Institute  or  College of Pharmaceutical Sciences are utilised as mentor, the Centre will be able to establish NIPER in the state within two years.

Being a central institute of excellence in pharmacy education and research, the entire funding can be obtained from the Centre. The state government needs to provide only land. The proposed project would bring huge central government investment which could vary from Rs 300 crore to Rs 800  crore during the initial phase. Right from the  first NIPER set up in Mohali, all institutes have been established in an area spreading 100 to 500 acres.

However, considering the scarcity of land in Kerala, 100 acres of land would be sufficient for setting up the centre for excellence. Moreover, the state also has the unique distinction in drug consumption in the country. The state's population which constitutes just 3.2 per cent of  the country's population, consumes 12 per cent of the medicines produced and marketed in the country.However, there are only 60 pharma manufacturing units in the state and of these not many are functioning at the moment. Experts say the proposed Centre would go a long way in improving skill development, modernising and professionalising the pharma industry in the state.