Bhubaneswar, October 24: The School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPS), Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of SOA Deemed to be University, held a two-day orientation program for newly admitted B.Pharm and M.Pharm students for the 2026–27 academic session, which concluded on Saturday.

The program basically aimed to familiarise the students with the academic environment, institutional regulations, student support services and the diverse career opportunities available in the pharmaceutical profession.

The inaugural session was graced by Prof. (Dr.) Neeta Mohanty, Pro-Vice Chancellor, SOA, who was the Chief Guest on the occasion; Dr. Lalit Kumar Sahu, Deputy Drugs Controller, Drugs Control Administration, Odisha, who was the Chief Speaker; and Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, Dean (Students’ Welfare), SOA, who attended as the Guest of Honour. Prof. Debajyoti Das, Dean, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, also addressed the new students.

The sessions on day one dealt with examination regulations, hostel rules, and institutional guidelines to help the students adapt to university life. Faculty members, coordinators, mentors, and non-teaching staff were introduced to the students, providing them with an overview of the academic and administrative support available to them.

A major highlight of the program was an interactive panel discussion with distinguished alumni representing different sectors of the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare.

The panellists included Mr. Manas Ranjan Lenka, Clinical Safety Manager, Merck Group, Mr. Sukanta Sahoo, Drugs Inspector, Directorate of Drugs Control, Government of Odisha, Mr. Prasanta Kumar Das, Manager–Procurement (Pharmacy), Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar, and Mr. Ashish Kumar Mohapatra, Safety Aggregate Report Manager, IQVIA.

The discussion offered valuable insights into professional responsibilities, industry expectations, regulatory affairs, drug safety, and career development.

On the second day, students were introduced to the university’s student support services and extra-curricular opportunities, including the National Service Scheme (NSS) and sporting activities, student clubs, placement, and Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT) preparation.

A special talk on pharmacy highlighted the scope of pharmaceutical education and the profession’s evolving role in healthcare and research.

The orientation concluded with visits to key SOA facilities including IMS and SUM Hospital, the SOA National Institute of Law, the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, the Institute of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry at Campus 4, and SUM Life Sciences, SOA’s pharmaceutical industry initiative. These visits familiarised the freshers with the university’s multidisciplinary academic, healthcare, research and industrial ecosystem.