NEW DELHI: In a major reform aimed at improving the quality of dental education and aligning it with global standards, Union government on Friday announced the constitution of the National Dental Commission (NDC).
To support the functioning of the Commission, three autonomous bodies have also been constituted.
The Commission will introduce essential and long-overdue regulatory reforms in dental education and enhance access to affordable oral healthcare across the country. The notifications in this regard were issued on March 19.
The NDC framework will now replace the Dental Council of India (DCI), which regulated dental education and profession throughout the country. The new Commission has come into effect from March 19.
The Commission will frame regulations to implement the provisions of the Act; will conduct rating and assessment of dental institutions; evaluate human resources and promote dental research; frame guidelines for fee regulation in private dental colleges; and establish standards for community dental care, education, research, and professional ethics.
“This historic reform marks a decisive shift towards a regulatory framework that is transparent, quality-driven, and accountable; replacing the earlier elected structure,” the Union Health Ministry said in a statement.
The three autonomous boards – Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Education Board, which will oversee dental education; Dental Assessment and Rating Board, which will regulate accreditation and institutional assessment; and the Ethics and Dental Registration Board, which will govern professional conduct and registration of dentists.
Dr. Sanjay Tewari has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Commission, while Dr. Mousumi Goswami will be a Part-Time Member.
Dr. Chandrashekhar Janakiram has been appointed as the President of the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Education Board. Dr. Shailesh Madhav Lele will be the Whole Time Member, while Dr. Nagaraj M has been appointed as the Part Time Member of the board.
Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Nanda Kishore Sahoo has been appointed as the President of the Dental Assessment and Rating Board. Dr. Himanshu Aeran will be the Whole Time Member, while Dr. Parimala Tyagi will be the Part Time Member of the board.
Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Tapas Kumar Bandyopadhyay has been appointed as the Whole Time Member of the Ethics and Dental Registration Board. The other two members are Dr. Usha Hegde (Whole Time Member) and Dr. Swarga Jyoti Das (Part Time Member).
Arindam Modak will head the Secretariat as Secretary to the NDC.
With the coming into force of the NDC Act from March 19, the Dentists Act, 1948 stands repealed, and the Dental Council of India is dissolved with effect from the same date, the ministry added.