The Dental Council of India (DCI) has issued a strong directive to all dental colleges and institutions, emphasizing the critical need to maintain the integrity of the admission process for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) courses. The DCI cited numerous reports of irregularities in student admissions, including admissions after the cutoff date and failure to submit necessary details to the DCI and affiliating universities. This notice was issued on May 16, 2025.
The DCI highlighted the adverse impact of these irregularities, noting that eligible students often face uncertainty regarding the validity of their admissions and career delays due to colleges not uploading their details on the DCI/University portal. The DCI and universities also bear an administrative burden in addressing these issues, and the reputation of the involved colleges suffers.
The directive references the order dated March 26, 2024, passed by the High Court of Karnataka in WP Nos. 24638, 24639 & 24750 of 2022 – Shaikh Razia & Ors. Vs RGUHS & Ors. The High Court directed the DCI to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to identify common irregularities, assess their impact, provide recommendations for prevention, analyze coordination issues between counseling authorities and universities, examine penalty measures, and verify students.
The DCI prepared a DPR, which was accepted by the High Court of Karnataka and directed for implementation vide order dated November 27, 2024.
According to the DPR recommendations, the DCI is developing a common web portal to strengthen the admission process for all BDS/MDS students, verify credentials, and avoid ambiguities between counseling authorities and universities. The portal will be used by colleges, counseling authorities, and affiliating universities to ensure the counseling process concludes one week before the last admission date. Colleges will be informed once the portal is ready.
Furthermore, the High Court of Karnataka has accepted stringent penalty proceedings for dental colleges violating the prescribed admission schedule and failing to upload details on the common web portal. The following penalties will be imposed:
- First Instance of Violation: A penalty of four times the total course fee per student will be levied on the dental college, to be deposited with the concerned State Government within 15 days of the DCI or University’s directions. Additionally, the number of affected admissions will be neutralized in the next academic year.
- Second Instance of Violation: The erring dental college will be barred from admitting any students in UG and PG courses for the following academic year.
- Third Instance of Violation: Section 16A of the Dentists Act, 1948, will be invoked for the derecognition of BDS and MDS degrees awarded by the affiliating university at the erring dental college.
The DCI has directed all dental colleges and institutions to take necessary precautions to avoid any ambiguity in the admission process and ensure adherence to the High Court of Karnataka’s directions. Non-compliance will lead to the initiation of penalty proceedings. This directive was issued with the approval of the Executive Committee on March 12, 2025.
