Dr Rakesh Krishan Gupta honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at ISPPD conference
Meerut: Dr Rakesh Krishan Gupta has been conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to pediatric and preventive dentistry at the Pedodham 2025 National Conference of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry (ISPPD) held in Bhubaneswar.
A renowned academic figure and an inspiring institutional leader, Dr Gupta is widely recognised for his enduring service to the speciality and his visionary role in dental education and preventive care across the country.
Dr. Gupta currently serves as Principal & Director (Postgraduate Studies), Kalka Dental College, Meerut. He has been lauded for his exceptional leadership, and he changed the dental education systems by introducing innovative techniques in healthcare delivery. Before this, he served as the Principal and Dean of Indira Gandhi Government Dental College, Jammu, where he was instrumental in upgrading the institution to the postgraduate level. He played an important part in introducing seven recognised MDS specialities, establishing an ICMR-registered ethics committee, and encouraging the establishment of a modern multi-speciality dental centre, reports States Times.
He has also taken steps to complete the additional block of the dental hospital, which is accommodating four clinical departments. He also secured the approval for the construction of buildings like PG and UG hostel, staff quarters for faculty and other staff, guest house, and indoor sports complex. Work on multi-floor parking got approved, and execution started during his tenure. His vision also shaped the Faculty of Dental Sciences and the Board of Dental Studies at the University of Jammu, where he served as the first Dean of Dental Sciences.
Since joining the Dental Council of India in 2017, Dr Gupta has played a key role in shaping national policies, strengthening ethical oversight, developing curricula, and participating in institutional inspections.
Expressing gratitude to the ISPPD for the recognition, Dr Gupta said the honour was a deeply humbling moment, which he wished to dedicate to his mentors, peers, students, and the institutions that supported his professional journey.
With more than 22 scientific papers, three standard reference texts, extensive postgraduate mentorship, and regular roles as a speaker and chair at major dental conferences, Dr Gupta has made a lasting academic impact. He is also widely respected for his humility, integrity, empathy and unwavering dedication to public welfare. The conferment of the Lifetime Achievement Award at Pedodham 2025 stands as a major national tribute to Dr Gupta’s decades of devoted service, forward-looking leadership and far-reaching influence on the field of dentistry.
