Panjab University to seek Dental Council of India nod for BDS, MDS exams

Punjab: Dr Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital might conduct the examination of intermediate and final-year students soon as the Panjab University (PU) has decided to seek permission from the Dental Council of India (DCI) for BDS, MDS Exams at the institute.

On August 17, a virtual meeting was held by the Syndicate members to discuss the matter.  The online meeting was chaired by syndicate member and chairman Navdeep Goyal. 

During the meeting, the members gave the institution a nod on the issue of conducting an exam. They also decided to send representation to seek permission from the Dental Council of India (DCI) for conducting the exams of all Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students and master of Dental Surgery Students (MDS) of the institute. They members also made a reference of a few other states that have adopted online mode to conduct examinations. 

Around 500 UG and 17 PG students will be appearing for the examinations and the committee suggested that the exams could be taken in a blended mode. As for the MDS students, as they are only 17 in number, the physical examination might be possible..

According to a committee member, "We have permitted them to conduct exams as per DCI advisory, now PU will seek permission from DCI to do so. Given the number of PG students is very small at the dental college, we have permitted them to conduct the exams physically."

The DCI advisory issued on June 30, 2020, directed all the dental institutions to conduct theory examinations for PG and UG students following the norms and guidelines of the council. They also instructed the authorities that BDS or MDS final year medicos should appear for the examination when the pandemic is contained and the situation is under control. As for the students belonging to first, the second and third year of the BDS course, the exams should be conducted when the students will be available to join the classes for the next session.

Referring to the importance of holding online mode exams for BDS students, one of the members told Times Of India that "the university should go for it as in BDS there are 500 students who have to appear for the exams. It might not be possible that all the outstation students should travel to Chandigarh to appear in an examination, so the blended option of giving the examination should be given to them ."

Commenting on the issue, Dr. Jagat Bhushan, principal, Dr. Harvansh Singh Judge Institute and Dental Science and Hospital told HT, "We had written to the University to allow us to conduct the exams of UG and PG students. Timely exams are in the best interest of students and dental institutes in many states have conducted the exams."