MCOPS, the most sought-after pharmacy college, gets HRD recognition

Our former president, the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam during his visit, described Manipal as the modern day Nalanda. Coming from an erudite scholar as Dr Kalam, the words carried a lot of import. Manipal verily is an international knowledge town. Beginning with the founding of Kasturba Medical College (KMC) in 1953 by the late Dr TMA Pai, Manipal has been building educational institutions of renown in their fields. The establishment of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in 1993, which later became Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MU), heralded a new phase in rapid growth and global reach. MU nurtures each of institutions and allows them to flourish to their full potential. Surveys of professional colleges by various agencies always ranked KMC among the top ten medical colleges of India. Manipal College of Dental Sciences (MCODS) has been consistently ranked number one among dental colleges in the country. Likewise most of the institutions of MU have notched up high ranks. Last year the magazine, Careers 360 gave Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences (MCOPS) the second rank among all the pharmacy colleges of India and the first rank among the one-thousand and add private pharmacy colleges. MCOPS, The Best Pharmacy College in NIRF ranking Gladdening the hearts of all in Manipal Academy of Higher Education, the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) of the Union Human Resources Development Ministry, in its first ranking, has put MCOPS as the best of its kind in the country. This ranking has raised the stock of the college in particular and Manipal Academy of Higher Education, in general. It is the recognition of the quality of education imparted to aspiring pharmacists in this premier college. In its 54th year of existence, MCOPS boasts of the finest infrastructure, qualified faculty with a staff-student ratio of 1:12 and, superior facilities for academic and co-curricular activities. Fully air-conditioned lecture halls, well equipped spacious laboratories and library, make teaching and learning very effective and less arduous. MCOPS has in its rolls students from all over India, who get admitted on the sole basis of merit through all-India admission tests. Besides, MCOPS also attracts students from Africa, middle-east and many English-speaking countries. Student Exchange Programmes with some top European, American and Australian universities have brought closer to some international institutions and thereby enhancing its global footprint and perception. Providing infrastructure and other facilities requires availability of huge financial resources. MCOPS is fortunate in this respect as MU supports it to the hilt. Money also comes from national funding agencies for removal of obsolescence and building of new facilities. Grants are received from these agencies for research activities and procuring sophisticated equipment. Research, a priority for MCOPS Knowledge creation is as important as knowledge dissemination. While knowledge dissemination is done through excellent teaching, knowledge creation is through research. At MCOPS, as is true of other constituent institutions of MU, research is a priority. In fact, MCOPS is referred to as the hub of research. A measure of the research output is the Scopus Index, an internationally recognised parameter. The ‘h’ index is 46 and citation index per paper is 10.7. MCOPS has a cumulative citation of 11,707 currently and 1089 publications. These figures are well above the national average of 7. To put this in perspective, we are ahead of China, which has a national average of 7.44. We still have a bit of catching to do as the USA has the average of 23.36 per paper. With all these benefits, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences should naturally be the most preferred destination for all those who lay stress on quality education in pharmaceutical sciences. The NIRF ranking, done through an evaluation of several parameters relevant to quality, has given a big boost to the stature of MCOPS. Discerning parents will definitely make a note of this new development as they prepare to charter the academic programme for their wards. Advantages of being an MCOPS student 1. Getting top-class facilities for academic and extracurricular activities 2. Being able to secure the degrees from B Pharm to PhD under one roof and from internationally renowned Manipal Academy of Higher Education 3. Possibility of getting into reputed foreign universities through Student Exchange Programme 4. Opportunities for collaborative research with other institutions in India or abroad 5. Unlimited opportunities to mingle and interact with students coming from widely varying environments and thereby expand your horizon 6. Job opportunities after completing the degree as a number of pharmaceutical industries prefer employing MCOPS students to others