Qualifications for entry on first register
Section 31 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 deals with qualifications for entry on first register. [A person who has attained the age of eighteen years shall be entitled] on payment of the prescribed fee to have his name entered in the first register if he resides, or carries on the business or profession of pharmacy, in the State and if he-- (a) holds a degree or diploma in pharmacy or pharmaceu The Act came into force on 04 Mar 1948.
1[A person who has attained the age of eighteen years shall be entitled] on payment of the prescribed fee to have his name entered in the first register if he resides, or carries on the business or profession of pharmacy, in the State and if he--
(a) holds a degree or diploma in pharmacy or pharmaceutical chemistry or a chemist and druggist diploma of an Indian University or a State Government, as the case may be, or a prescribed qualification granted by an authority outside 2*** India, or
(b) holds a degree of an Indian University other than a degree in pharmacy or pharmaceutical chemistry, and has been engaged in the compounding of drugs in a hospital or dispensary or other place in which drugs are regularly dispensed on prescriptions of medical practitioners for a total period of not less than three years, or
(c) has passed an examination recognised as adequate by the State Government for compounders or dispensers, or
(d) has been engaged in the compounding of drugs in a hospital or dispensary or other place in which drugs are regularly dispensed on prescriptions of medical practitioners for a total period of not less than five years prior to the date notified under sub-section (2) of section 30.
Section 31, The Pharmacy Act, 1948 (Act 8 of 1948).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Referred to by 5
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Ranjan Sinha vs Ajay Kumar Vishwakarma
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When a state is reorganized and a new state is formed by transferring territories from the parent state, the First Register of pharmacists prepared by the parent state under Section 30 of the Pharmacy Act, 1948 continues to be the First Register for the newly formed state to the extent it contains pharmacists whose residential addresses fall within the territories of the new state. The newly formed state cannot prepare a fresh First Register under Section 30. All subsequent registrations must comply with the Education Regulations framed by the Pharmacy Council of India under Section 10 of the Act. Sections 84 and 85 of the Bihar Reorganization Act, 2000 ensure continuity of laws from the parent state to the new state, and the First Register published by the parent state has the force of law and cannot be re-prepared by the new state.
On this section: Qualifications for entry on First Register; broader criteria including practical experience; temporary measure for initial registration
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Rajendra Prasad Bagaria vs Pharmacy Council of State of Raj.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
A state pharmacy council has the authority under Section 36(1)(i) of The Pharmacy Act, 1948 to cancel a pharmacist's registration on the ground of error in enrollment, even if the registration was initially approved by the council itself, provided the council gives the registered pharmacist a reasonable opportunity of being heard. The transferee state council retains the power of scrutiny over registrations obtained from other states and can decline to accept or cancel such registrations if they do not appear to be justified or were granted on erroneous grounds. The requirement of five years of experience in the concerned state cannot be circumvented by obtaining registration in another state for a brief period and then seeking transfer.
On this section: Sets qualifications for entry on first register including degree/diploma in pharmacy, or other degree with three years experience, or five years experience in dispensing drugs; person must reside and carry on pharmacy business in the state
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 31
What have the courts held on Section 31 of the Pharmacy Act?
Ranjan Sinha vs Ajay Kumar Vishwakarma (03 Jul 2017) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Qualifications for entry on First Register; broader criteria including practical experience; temporary measure for initial registration. Another 1 judgment on this section is set out below, all of them from the Supreme Court. They run from 2012 to 2017.
How do I find court cases under Section 31 of the Pharmacy Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Pharmacy Act 1948 31, section 31 Pharmacy Act 1948, section 31 of the Pharmacy Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 2 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Ranjan Sinha vs Ajay Kumar Vishwakarma (03 Jul 2017).
What should I read with Section 31 of the Pharmacy Act, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 30 (Preparation of first register), so none of them can safely be read on its own. 5 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it.
When did Section 31 of the Pharmacy Act come into force?
Section 31 of the Pharmacy Act, cited as Pharmacy Act 1948 31, came into force on 04 Mar 1948, having been enacted on 04 Mar 1948. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.