Pharmacy graduates not allowed to join Maharashtra Forest Service despite state minister's direction
Scores of
pharmacists aspiring to join Maharashtra Forest Service have been left in lurch
due to lackadaisical attitude of state forest department in ensuring that B
Pharm becomes one of the eligibility criteria for state forest service
examination conducted by Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC).
The state forest department has hardly paid heed to the matter despite direction from forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar to take steps to incorporate B Pharm in education qualification of candidates appearing for Maharashtra forest service examination.
Mungantiwar issued direction last year following a representation by Maharashtra Registered Pharmacists Association (MRPA) in this regard.
MRPA president Kailash Tandale in the memorandum appealed to the state forest minister to make pharmacy graduates eligible for state forest service examination.
The minister assured Tandale that B Pharm qualification would be incorporated in the eligibility criteria for candidates appearing for the forest service exam from next year and immediately issued requisite direction to the department's secretary but nothing has been done so far.
MPSC early this month issued the notification for Maharashtra Forest Service (Pre) Examination 2019 to fill 29 vacancies of Assistant Forest Conservator [Group A], 71 posts of Forest Ranger (Group B). The circular has again deprived pharmacy graduates of appearing for the exam.
As per the notification, students having bachelor's degree in botany, chemistry, geology, forestry, statistics, mathematics, veterinary science, environmental science etc can appear for the exam.
Lamenting lack of inclusion of B Pharm qualification in the eligibility criteria for the exam in the notification, Tandale said “Engineering students who have nothing to do with forestry are eligible to take part in Maharashtra forest service examination but pharmacy graduates who study environmental science, pharmacognosy, chemistry, mathematics in the course spanning over four years are not eligible to take up the examination held by MSPC to fill vacancies of forest conservator and forest ranger.”
He said candidates having B Pharm degree are eligible to appear in the Indian Forest Service Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
“We have been demanding inclusion of the same in the eligibility criteria for candidates taking up the Maharashtra forest service examination,” he added.
After assurance from the minister, B Pharm graduates were hopeful of inclusion of B Pharm in the eligibility criteria for state forest service examination this year, he stated.
There are 215 Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) approved diploma colleges and 155 degree colleges in Maharashtra. Every year around 18,000-20,000 students pass out from these institutes.
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