ABOUT US

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Brief introduction

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar (Formerly known as Saugor University, SAGAR) of Madhya Pradesh has been a relentless and pioneer in spreading pharmaceutical education in each nook and corner of the globe. It was established in 1956 and has completed 65 glorious years of a successful journey in 2021. In addition to doctoral programms in Pharmacy, the department offers B. Pharm and M. Pharm programms approved by Pharmacy Council of India (PCI), New Delhi and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi. Department has made a significant contribution to pharmacy education and research on national and international level. The department is one of the AICTE-QIP Nodal centres for improving the quality of pharmacy teachers.   The department has a vast alumni support for the curriculum enrichment and holistic growth of the department.

The faculty members have made remarkable contributions to the profession of pharmacy.  The distinguished research credentials of the researchers & faculty members have been published in reputed and high impact journals. The patented research of the faculty members is another recognised domain of credentials of the department. The department could establish itself as an excellent research centre in the areas of New Drug Delivery System, Nano-biotechnology, Herbal Medicinal Products, Medicinal Chemistry and Computer Aided Drug Designing. The departmental academic and research activities are supported with state of art instrumental facilities including NMR, LCMS, GCMS, AFM, Nano Spray Dryer, Raman Spectroscopy, TAM, SAM, XRD, ICPMS, HPTLC, BET Surface Area analyzer, Flow Cytometer, Particle size analyser etc. under SIC.

The faculty is committed to academic excellence and maintaining interdisciplinary approaches in its undergraduate and postgraduate teaching & research programmes. Academic programmes emphasize basic knowledge as well as its applications, pushing current frontiers of innovations, developing efficient teaching-learning methodologies. Proper utilization of advanced teaching aids and student centric planning & management for overall sustainable development of stakeholders are the additional distinguished features of this department.

Departmental IQAC Profile 

Name and particulars of the Head of the Department

History of the Department

The credit for founding the pharmacy course goes to Prof. A. K. Bhattacharya, the then Head- Department of Chemistry. A humble beginning was made in July 1948 through the introduction of a Diploma in Soaps and Cosmetics. With a fund made available by the University sanctioned as a paltry grant of Rs. 1000 for the purpose, followed by a B.Sc. degree course in Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, and Industrial Chemistry in 1952 at Sagar. Prof. Pathak looked after Pharmaceutical Chemistry while the instructions in Industrial Chemistry were carried out by Late. C. S. Chauhan and Shri R. L. Khare. The syllabus of this unique B.Sc. course was sincerely designed under the direction and advice of Prof. N. K. Basu, the great educationist of this country of his time. This was a typical repetitive experiment of a kind of 1932 B. H. U. experiment which had already been modified to a regular course for Degree of Pharmacy. Simultaneously, a condensed B. Pharm. The course was designed for one year that additionally covered instructions in pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacy, pharmacology, and pharmacognosy. Thus, it was in 1952 when University started offering B.Sc. (Pharmacy) degree.

It was in 1954 when the course attained specific attention and looking to its popularity and potentiality, the faculty categorically to look after the specially designed course was strengthened and as a result, Dr. R. L. Nikore and Dr. K. C. Verma (Ph. D. from the University of Washington at Seattle) were appointed as lecturer. Apparently, it led to redesigning of an independent degree program in pharmacy and was introduced as B. Pharm. course in 1954. However, the teaching and administration of course were under the command and control of Prof. A. K. Bhattacharya for this program is a part of chemistry.

Dr. Pathak left in 1955 to join back his alma mater, Calcutta University. In his place, Dr. Harkishan Singh from B. H. U. joined as a lecturer in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in July 1956 and later Dr. V. Vasuderaish joined as Lecturer in Pharmacology and Physiology and Shri S. N. Thampi in leave vacancy of R. L. Nikore who proceeded to Germany for his doctorate. The University Grant Commission had provided a post of professor and two Readers.  Dr. S. N. Sharma from B.H.U. who had recently back to the country from England with Ph. D. from Manchester university was appointed as Reader and Head of this Newly created department of pharmaceutical chemistry in 1957. It was then pointed out and suggested to Prof. A. K. Bhattacharya that the name of the department would be more appropriate if it was “Department of Pharmacy”. He agreed to it immediately and took up for suggested change with the University bodies. A building of the department was constructed at the present campus under the sincere guidance and efforts of Dr. S. N. Sharma and his team. Earlier, the department had just 4000 sq. ft. space available at the Makronia site of the University. Soon after the undergraduate program, in 1957 it started offering degrees in Master of Pharmacy too.

The M. Pharm. pattern adopted was as followed in Banaras, however, the duration was of 2 years which was later followed all over India. It was the Sagar department where a compulsory paper on modern techniques and methods of research was made compulsory for all M. Pharm. Admittants with an optional paper in Pharmaceutics or Pharmaceutical Chemistry or Pharmacognosy and second year devoted to the research in the respective specialization. Subsequently, in July 1964 a brainstorming session and discussion among teachers and staff was held which led to a conclusion that there should be one compulsory paper on modern analytical techniques, for all M. Pharm. students and three papers in any one of the three specializations i.e. Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy followed by research in respective specialization in the second year. This is popularly referred to as ‘Sagar Model’, which was widely acclaimed and adopted. This had not only provided a firm foundation for research but also at the same time helped to build discrete research orientation with interest in students.

Summary of History of the Department

• Diploma in Soaps and Cosmetics- started in 1948 as a
• Sc. course of two-years duration introduced with Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Chemistry, and Industrial Chemistry - 1952
• Post B. Sc course of one-year duration introduced in 1954  
• In 1955 AICTE inspected the Department & Recommended the adoption of the B. Pharm Course (Three years duration after Inter-Sciences)
• A new pharmacy course was introduced in July 1956
•  Diploma course in Pharmacy conducted up to 1956 simultaneously with a B. Pharm (Honours) course for the Diploma holders.
• Pharm four years integrated course started in 1964 (on the recommendation of AICTE) 
• Financial assistance received for the above courses by UGC and State Government
• M. Pharm Course started in 1957 
• UGC started awarding fellowships to 20 PG students in 1962 
• This was the third Pharmacy Department in the country and first in the state 
• The number of seats in M. Pharm. increased to 33 in 1999 and 50 from the session 2002-2003.

This is how in philosophy and practice a full-fledged course was inseminated which flourished to its subsequent identity when in 1955 a visiting committee of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) inspected the department of chemistry and recommended to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to provide fund for B. Pharm. 3-year degree course after I Sc. Thus in 1956 a full-fledged course of B. Pharm. was introduced in July 1956, and vis a vis new department as Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry was established.

Former Heads of the Department

• Late Prof. A.K. Bhattacharya (1946-1957)
• Prof. S.N. Sharma (Nov. 1957 to Dec. 1958 & Dec. 1960- April 1976)
• Late Prof. M.L. Schroff (Dec. 1958 to Nov. 1960)
• Late Prof. C.S. Chauhan (April 1976 to April 1977)
• Late Prof. K.C. Varma (April 1977 to April 1980 & Nov.1982 to Aug.1984)
• Prof. R.L. Khare (May 1980 to Oct. 1982 & Sept.1984 to April 1987)
• Prof. N.K. Jain (May 1987 to Dec. 1991 and Dec. 2001 to Dec. 2004)
• Prof. V.K. Dixit (Jan 1992 to Dec. 2007)
• Late M.D. Kharya (Dec.2007 to Dec. 2010)
• Prof. G.P. Agrawal (Dec 2010 to Oct 2013)
• Prof. D.V. Kohli (Nov. 2013 to Nov.16)
• Prof. R.K. Agarwal (Dec 14 to March 15)
• Prof. Asmita Gajbhiye (March 15 to March 18)
• Prof. Sanjay K. Jain (March 18 to March 21)

 Our Vision

“To be an outstanding Department of Excellence ever in pursuit of newer horizons to create self-reliant global pharmacist through assured quality education programmes”.

Our Mission

• To promote sustainable development of pharmaceutical education consistent with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• To provide WORLD CLASS AMBIENCE, ENVIRONMENT, infrastructure, and learning resources required for research and development as well as for the achievement of the objectives.
• To extend the frontiers of knowledge, through student development programs.
• To make a significant research activity involving staff, students, and society.
• To promote industry/organization, interaction/collaborations with regional, national & international bodies to promote academic, research, entrepreneurship as well as innovative skills in the students.
• To lay emphasis on society-oriented programs in the areas of health and education with a common man as the focal point.
• To ensure that academic, career and personal counselling are in-built into the system of curriculum delivery.
• To impart the spirit of enquiry and scientific temperament among students through research-oriented activities.
• To promulgate the process for effective, continuous, and objective-oriented student performance evaluation.
• To provide adequate opportunity and platform for expression of individual potentials

Details of Students who are receiving Fellowship/ financial support :

The students of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences have excelled in terms of their progression During the past five years, the students of the department have not only qualified for the GPAT at an average of >30 students per year but also remained the all-India top rankers of GPAT for the respective year. The department also facilitates the on-campus and off-campus placement of the students.

Project ongoing

Faculty

Guest Faculty