New Delhi:
In a significant move to improve the quality of dental education and ensure transparency across the country, the National Dental Commission (NDC) has signaled strict action against substandard dental colleges. Following the dissolution of the 78-year-old Dental Council of India, the newly constituted NDC is implementing a stricter, more transparent, and technology-driven monitoring system.
Substandard Dental Colleges The Commission has made it clear that a centralized biometric attendance system and year-round digital audits will now be mandatory in dental institutions. These measures aim to effectively curb the long-standing issue of “ghost faculty” and institutions that exist only on paper. The system will be लागू across more than 325 dental colleges nationwide, covering approximately 28,000 BDS and 7,300 MDS seats.
NDC Chairman Dr. Sanjay Tiwari stated that the immediate priority of the Commission is to ensure strict compliance with regulations. He emphasized that the inspection process will be further strengthened, with special focus on clinical teaching quality, active faculty participation, patient inflow, and biometric attendance tracking.
To enhance transparency, the Dental Assessment and Rating Board has been granted special powers under the NDC. The board is headed by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Nand Kishore Sahu, with Dr. Himanshu Aeran serving as a full-time member. The board is authorized to conduct surprise inspections of institutions and publish their ratings publicly.
Additionally, other autonomous boards under the NDC include:
The Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Education Board, chaired by Dr. Chandrashekhar Janakiram, with Dr. Shailesh Madhav Lele as members.
The Ethics and Dental Registration Board includes Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Tapas Kumar Bandyopadhyay and Dr. Usha Hegde.
Meanwhile, Arindam Modak is overseeing the administrative functioning of the Commission.
Experts believe that many institutions have historically manipulated records by showing fake or absent faculty members to meet the mandated teacher-student ratio. The earlier physical inspection system allowed such discrepancies, which are now expected to be eliminated through digital audits and biometric verification.
According to sources, strict action may be taken against nearly 79 substandard dental colleges in the next 4–5 months. Institutions found lacking in infrastructure or involved in ghost faculty practices could face closure.
Looking ahead, the NDC has also initiated work on two major reforms:
Implementation of the National Exit Test (NExT) within the next three years
A roadmap to cap fees by up to 50% in private dental colleges and deemed universities
Dr. Tiwari reiterated that the Commission’s primary goal is to make dental education more accessible and affordable for students. A comprehensive policy will be developed in consultation with stakeholders and state governments.
This initiative by the National Dental Commission is being seen as a decisive step toward improving standards in dental education and eliminating systemic irregularities in India.
