Union Minister Calls For NIPER Establishment In Odisha

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Jan 14 (KNN) Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has called upon Union health Minister J P Nadda to establish a National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in Odisha.

The request, made during Monday's MoU signing ceremony for the Ayushman Bharat-PM Jan Arogya Yojana in Delhi, aims to support the growing pharmaceutical sector in the state, particularly in light of Bharat Biotech's upcoming vaccine manufacturing plant.

The proposal for a NIPER in Odisha has a history spanning over a decade. In 2012, then Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Srikant Jena, indicated the Centre's interest in establishing the institute.

Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik followed up in 2016 with a formal request to the Centre, offering both temporary campus space and land for a permanent facility, though the project did not materialize at that time.

The state government has demonstrated its commitment to pharmaceutical development through the Odisha Pharmaceuticals Policy, which seeks to attract private investment and promote environmentally conscious manufacturing practices.

In a related initiative, the MSME department has begun developing a pharmaceutical cluster in the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar region, which will provide facilities for testing, training, raw material storage, and effluent treatment.

According to official sources, the state government stands ready to provide land and necessary infrastructure for NIPER's establishment.

The proposed institute would serve as a crucial centre for training future educators, research scientists, and industry professionals, potentially creating a significant impact on the region's pharmaceutical sector development.

(KNN Bureau)

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