VED has appealed to Nitin Gadkari, Hon’ble Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Govt. of India and Devendra Fadnavis DCM, Govt of Maharashtra, to expedite the setting up of a much- delayed NIPER in Nagpur.
VED’s continued effort with Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Minister of Chemicals & Fertilisers, Govt. of India, regarding the setting up of a NIPER (National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research) in Nagpur has still not borne fruit. This is an issue on-going for almost a decade, since the time it was initially announced by Arun Jaitley in the Union Budget on Feb. 28, 2015.
The centre was expected to release a sum of Rs 600 crores to set up the 100 acres institution in the city and the Central Team finalized land in Kaldongri, near Nagpur on Wardha Road for the institute. The State Govt. handed over 40 acres of land on March 28, 2017, but beyond that there has been no progress so far in the last three years from the Centre’s side. We had even recommended that although the campus was not ready, at least the NIPER classes for 2022-2023 could be started in VNIT (Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology) premises where the IIM classes were earlier held, and since the IIM had already shifted to their own allotted premises. However, nothing has happened so far.
The Vidarbha Economic Development Council’s (VED) major contribution has been in relentlessly pursuing this matter for the last several years. A VED delegation even met in New Delhi the Late Mr. Anant Kumar, the then Hon’ble Minister for Chemicals & Fertilisers, who had sanctioned the NIPER in Nagpur. Although the funds were then lacking, a parcel of land of 24 hectares had been earmarked in Nagpur in Kaldongri, for this purpose
When the concept of NIPER first came up, the first branch was to be set up in Nagpur, it was eventually set up in Mohali in Punjab. Later, NIPERs were established at Ahmedabad, Hajipur (Bihar), Hyderabad, Kolkata, Rae Bareli and Guwahati, but Nagpur was skipped.
A NIPER in Nagpur would give a big boost to the pharma industry. Lupin is already functional and it would be of immense benefit to the local pharma companies being set up in this region and central India.
It is high time that what has not materialised in almost a decade, be realised now, and as soon as possible.
