SC upholds provision mandating diploma in pharmacy as minimum qualification for pharmacist post

Key Highlights

• “The state has articulated its rationale with reference to differences in course structure and the comparatively limited avenues of employment available to diploma holders.
• “Thus, the decision of the state in making possession of a diploma an essential qualification for appointment cannot be said to be arbitrary.
• “The state has merely identified a narrower catchment of candidates it considers most suitable for a particular purpose, from within the larger pool of registered pharmacists,” the bench said.
• The apex court also said the scope of judicial review in matters of public employment does not extend to questioning the state’s wisdom or policy in prescribing the minimum eligibility requirements for a public post.
• The top court said a pharmacist forms an integral part of the public health delivery system.