NEXT after BDS for license to practice, PG Dental Admissions proposed by Govt

New Delhi: After successfully moving to replace the scam-tainted Medical Council of India (MCI), with the proposed more transparent body of National Medical Commission (NMC), the government is now moving to do the same thing for the dentistry profession, by abolishing the Dental Council of India (DCI) and setting up a National Dental commission (NDC).

For the same, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has put in the public domain and invited comments on the draft National Dental commission Bill that calls for setting up a National Dental commission and repealing the Dentists Act, 1948. Comments by stakeholders and public may be furnished via e-mail at v.ihal972@gov.in on or before 20.02.2020

The bill seeks to replace the existing Dental Council of India with a body National Dental commission that would regulate dental education as well as the dentistry profession throughout India. Salient features of the bill include

1) The Bill envisages the National Dental Commission that would contain both ex-officio and elected members and would be the apex regulatory body for the dentistry profession and education

2) The bill calls for setting up of a Dental Advisory Council that would advise the commission, help in shaping the overall agenda, policy and action relating to dental education and training in India

3) NEET- The Bill calls for uniform National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to the undergraduate and postgraduate dental education in all Dental institution. The bill, however, adds the uniform National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for admission to the postgraduate dental education shall continue till the National Exit Test comes into force

4) NEXT- The bill envisages a  common final year undergraduate dental examination to be known as the National Exit Test (Dental) shall be held for granting licence to practice dentistry as dentists and for enrolment in the State Register or the National Register, as the case may be. The bill states that NEXT would be brought in within three years of the commencement of the bill. The National Exit Test (Dental) shall be the basis for to the postgraduate dental education in dental institutions

5) Four Boards- The Bill envisages, setting up of 4 autonomous boards constituted to perform various functions under the Act

a) the Under- Graduate Dental Education Board- The said board would be responsible for UG dental education determine standards of dental education at the undergraduate level and oversee all aspects relating thereto. It functions would range from setting up the curriculum, framing guidelines for dental institutions imparting education, determine the minimum requirements and standards for conducting courses and examinations for undergraduates in dental institutions, determine standards and norms for infrastructure. faculty and quality of education in dental institutions providing undergraduate dental education, grant recognition Io a dental qualification at the undergraduate course and much more 

(b) the Post-Graduate Dental Education Board- Similar to the UG Dental Education Board, this board would be responsible for PG dental education and determine the standards of dental education at the postgraduate level, develop competency-based dynamic curriculum at postgraduate level, frame guidelines for setting up of dental institutions for imparting postgraduate courses, determine the minimum requirements and standards for conducting postgraduate courses and examinations in dental institution, ) determine standards and norms for infrastructure, faculty and quality of education and much more

(c) the Dental Assessment and Rating Board- The bill envisages a Dental Assessment and Rating Board that would determine the Procedure for assessing and rating the dental institutions for their compliance to the standards laid down by Under-Graduate Dental Education Board or the Post-Graduate Dental Education Board. This is the board that would grant permission for the establishment or to start any postgraduate course or to increase seats and would carry out the necessary inspections for the same.

(d) the Ethics and Dental Registration Board- This board would be in charge of governing the standards of the dental profession, maintain the National Register  National Register of all licensed dentists  and regulate professional conduct accordance and promote dental ethics as per the regulations of the act

The bill also lays the down the setup and functions of the state dental councils and the coordination of the state units with the National Dental Commission 

The bill has now been laid down in the public domain for comments. Comments by stakeholders and public may be furnished via e-mail at v.ihal972@gov.in on or before 20.02.2020

You can check out the full bill by clicking on the following link

Draft National Dental Commission Bill