Norms to curb mushrooming dental colleges from next year
From next year, getting approval for a new dental college will not be an easy affair.
In a major blow to the mushrooming dental college industry in the country, the top dental regulator has tightened the existing laws by making it mandatory for a new dental college to be associated with a medical college to facilitate training to the dental students. Only those applicants meeting such criteria will be given approval, from 2013 to start the new dental college.
As per amendment in “Dental Council of India (Establishment of New Dental Colleges, Opening of New or Higher Course of Study or Training and increase of Admission Capacity in Dental Colleges) Regulations 2006” the applicant will henceforth have to certify that the new dental college is attached with a recognised medical college which is located at the distance of 10 km by road.
“…the applicant will also have to certify that the medical college would facilitate training to the students of the proposed dental college as per syllabus for undergraduate and postgraduate dental course.”
This is for the first time that the regulator has taken such a major decision with an aim to curb the growth of the increasing number of dental colleges in the country. There are presently 292 dental colleges-253 being run privately-in the country with 20,000 dental doctors passing out annually from these institutes. But majority of them are unable to find jobs because of the glut in the market.
“The notification which will be published soon has been prepared to ensure that quality of dental education is not compromised. It is a known fact that presently permission to open private dental colleges has become a lucrative business with students paying money in millions for admissions,” sources in the Union Health Ministry said.
But when they pass out from the colleges after shelling out huge money and time, they do not find any job as there is a glut in the dental market.
However, existing dental colleges seeking increase in seats or starting higher courses except in the speciality of oral and maxillofacial surgery have been exempted from such regulation.
Citing shortage of jobs, the Council has already been asking the States not to consider opening any new private dental college unless required stating that around 30 to 40 per cent of the total seats in such colleges in the private sector have remained vacant for quite sometime.
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