The Dental Council of India (DCI) has issued a strict directive for all dental colleges to conduct an Anti-Ragging Orientation Program (AROP) for the academic year 2025-26. The programs must be held within two months of the last date of admissions for both BDS and MDS courses. This measure is in accordance with the DCI Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Dental Colleges, 2009.
Key Directives for Orientation Programs
To ensure the effectiveness of these programs, the DCI has mandated several specific requirements:
- Mandatory Participants: The program must be attended by all students from the fresh batch, senior students, members of the Anti-Ragging Committees, wardens, parents, counselors, and representatives from the press and police.
- DCI Member Presence: A member of the DCI from the college’s state or a neighboring state must be invited to the program.
- Strict Reporting: The AROP report must be uploaded to the DCI Anti Ragging Online Module within the stipulated time. This report must contain:
- At least 10 geo-tagged photographs, with a DCI member present in the photos.
- A certificate signed by the DCI member confirming their participation.
- A signed list of all participants, including both freshers and senior students.
- No Paper Submissions: To conserve administrative resources and protect the environment, the DCI will only consider reports submitted through the online module. No hard copies will be accepted.
Preventing Common Reporting Errors
The DCI has highlighted several common mistakes made by colleges in previous years, including uploading non-geo-tagged or irrelevant photographs, submitting unsigned participant lists, and failing to correctly submit the report from the “save as draft” stage. Colleges are strictly warned to fill out all details cautiously, as the DCI will not entertain any requests for corrections.
All expenses of the Anti-Ragging Orientation Program, including the travel and daily allowances of the DCI member, must be borne by the concerned dental college. The Secretary, DCI, is the Nodal Officer for all anti-ragging matters and can be contacted for assistance.