GTU to hold job fair for pharma students

The placement season at most of the pharmacy colleges is over. But the Gujarat Technological University (GTU) seems to have come up with an idea to overcome the grim scenario of fading job opportunities in this sector.

In a bid to provide a platform to the pharmacy students and pharmaceutical companies, the GTU will organise an 'Exclusive Pharmacy Job Fair' on April 12.

GTU officials explain that the idea behind the fair is to provide a platform where students looking for pharma jobs can get in touch with the respective recruiting companies. Students from bachelor of pharmacy and masters of pharmacy will attend the fair.

Organising an exclusive job fair for pharmacy students like this has given way to whispers of bleak placement opportunities during campus placements in the colleges. Senior academicians feel that students from state's reputed colleges will not face difficulties in finding jobs.

But those hailing from new colleges or colleges located in the interior parts of the state might find it difficult to find the desired job.

Reason for scarcity of jobs in the sector is the increasing number of pharma colleges in the state. The sector has become stagnant in Gujarat. Anita Mehta, principal of LM College of Pharmacy, stated that the prime reason is too many colleges. "The quality of students also goes down when the admission standard is lowered. The colleges and the number of seats are increasing but the pharma industry is not expanding. So, job opportunities remain the same, but the number of graduating students increases every year," she said.  

According to the available information, there are some 90 colleges that offer pharmaceutical courses. The total number of seats available in these institutes is 6,200.  Of these, only 2,200 seats were filled last year and the rest remained vacant.