Pharmacists play an important role in overall healthcare management. In the new-age pharmacy industry, Pharma Graduates are expected to not just have a degree in their hands, but excel at various computational, and management skills in addition to possessing core technical knowledge. With scientists using more and more new technologies to predict the upcoming health issues, the pharma sector is also moving from being traditional to a highly technology-driven one, and the current need of the hour are Pharma Institutes such as BLDE Association’s SSM College of Pharmacy & Research Center, who are serving society by offering quality education in pursuit of meeting potential interests of the Pharma aspirants, converting them into industry-ready personnel.
Established in 1910 by Vachana Pitamaha Dr P. G. Halakatti to serve society BLDEA (Bijapur Lingayat District Educational Association) has a history of more than 100 years. Visionary leaders such as Shri Sanganabasava Mahaswamiji of Banthanal, Late Shri B. M. Patil and presently Dr. M. B. Patil has nurtured and expanded BLDEA over the years. Subsequently, BLDE Association’s SSM College of Pharmacy and Research Center was established in 1982, which now has earned a renowned spot as a leading Pharmacy educational institution in the North Karnataka region and a trusted name in Pharmacy education.
Known for standing out when compared to its competitors, BLDE Association’s SSM College of Pharmacy & Research Center is an all-rounded hotspot of Pharma Education that not only offers regular diploma and bachelor courses, but also is a home to M.Pharm course in 6 specializations and even a Ph.D. specializing in 4 PG streams. The institute further addresses the need of trained and skilled graduates for the industry/corporate world by offering various value added certificate courses ranging from clinical, analytical, PvP research to entrepreneurship mentoring, as well as specific patient care practice areas in geriatrics/pediatrics and cardiology. “The certificate courses have been meticulously designed to meet potential interest of the aspirants to make them industry ready and facilitate them for career advancement”, shared Dr R B Kotnal, the Principal of the college. Adding to his above point and now emphasizing on the impressive curriculum followed, Dr Kotnal continued – “The availability, provision and impact of such dynamic curriculum deliverance and the excellent teaching – learning ecosystem at the institute has been well received by the aspirants and appreciated by the various apex bodies”. Also, as a result of the dedicated efforts put in towards the upliftment of the students and the field of pharmacy, the Pharma College has received an A++ accreditation by NAAC recently.
Striving towards excellence and continuous improvement
Operating as an extremely focused entity calculating each of its moves and progressing steadily in the current dynamic environment of pharmacy curriculum, the onboard teachers ensure that through the lessons each student is equipped with necessary skills and training. Moreover, to meet changing curriculum requirements, through its in-house advanced innovation and practice cell, innovative teaching learning and skill development concepts are adapted across every course to keep its graduates abreast with market needs and requirements. The curriculum deliverance is through effective pedagogical approach with a blend of participative, experiential and problem based learning.
Furthermore, appointing only highly qualified and experienced teaching faculty members, BLDE Association’s SSM College of Pharmacy & Research Center is proud of its 99% retention rate. The college has 39 faculty members with PG qualification and with half of the faculty having doctoral degree. The faculties are greatly academic and research focused having a great number of paper publications with an H index ranges from 4 – 35 and impactful conference presentations. One of the faculty has been listed among top 2% of the global scientists by Elsevier 2021 by Stanford university. Faculty has received approximately 1.5 cr in research grants in the last five years from various apex bodies viz AICTE, DST, RGUHS, ICMR etc. “Never letting any of our stakeholders out of the race towards success, regular FDP/QIP programs are organized under academic-industry forum, along with motivating the faculty to visit industries for skill upgradation, academic and research collaboration and industry institute mentoring activities”, shared – Dr R B Kotnal.
All thanks to having to spread its wings under the vaste umbrella and guidance of BLDE Association, the Pharmacy college has inherited an excellent infrastructure consisting of classrooms with modern information and communication technology facilities and laboratories. Also, the students get to explore their inner Pharma Geniuses across the labs which consist of equipments such as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, Infra-red Spectrophotometer, UV-Visible Spectrophotometer, Spray Drier, Lyophilizer, Brooke-field Viscometer, Parallel Synthesizer and Microwave Synthesizer. There is also a Language Lab, Museums, an Incubation Center, a Media Center and a Lecturer Capturing System. The college has a well-stocked library and an Integrated Library Management System and lift facility. The Campus is also equipped with a thousand bedded hospital as a practice site for post graduate pharmacy practice and Pharm D program.
The Institution has a number of linkages/collaborations with reputed industries and institutes for the promotion of research activities. Based on the curriculum, the internship activities and project proposal are designed as per the industry standards and academic feasibility, which opens an avenue to students in terms of imparting real time exposure to fine tune their skills to prepare them for industry readiness. Additionally, the college strongly pushes its students towards incubating research ideas, and trying their expertise via start-ups and regular industry oriented research proposals. To magnify this potential the institute forays and nurtures entrepreneurship qualities among students through conditioning programs by established entrepreneurs from various fields. These programs sensitize and inspire students and provide a greater vision in the entrepreneurship area. Such a program is being successfully organized by the Institute’s incubation and Entrepreneurship development cell which has witnessed numerous testimonials.
Going down the lane, BLDE Association’s SSM College of Pharmacy & Research Center looks forward to increasing their visibility and recognition at national and International platforms, along with building a concept and idea based environment, where newer dimensions are explored. Lastly, with a broader vision of contributing towards nation building, the management has already started on the path of becoming a practice based institute, which can serve as a model for professional and educational excellency.
Dr Ramaling B Kotnal – Principal
An experienced Pharma Professional, Dr Kotnal has – D. Pharm and B. Pharm degrees are credited to his name, along with a Ph.D. from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), Karnataka, Bangalore. He joined BLDEA’s College of Pharmacy, Bijapur as lecturer in the year 1998, and since then he is contributing selflessly to the academics and profession. Dr. Kotnal was nominated as a ‘Member Board Studies (PG)’, RGUHS for the year 2013-15. And, during this period he played a key role in restructuring the syllabus for PG courses in Pharmacy. In the year 2014, he was nominated as a Member, ‘Faculty of Pharmacy’ RGUHS, and in 2018 nominated as Member Board of Studies for the UG Program of RGUHS. Dr. Kotnal published and presented several research papers in national and international journal conferences/seminars of repute. Presentation of paper 14th Tetrahedron symposium at Seoul, South Korea is one example. He has also received travel grants from BLDE Association and RGUHS for presenting research papers at international conferences.
