Government sets up National Dental Commission

In a significant reform aimed at improving the quality of dental education and bringing it at par with global standards, the Government of India has replaced the Dental Council of India (DCI) with the National Dental Commission (NDC) and three autonomous boards. Notifications in this regard were issued on 19th March 2026 and the composition of NDC came into effect from that date.

This landmark reform marks a decisive shift towards a transparent, quality-focused, and accountable regulatory framework, replacing the preceding elected structure. The Commission will implement necessary and long-awaited regulatory reforms in dental education and increase access to affordable oral health care throughout the country.

Eminent professionals have been appointed to lead the Commission and its Boards. Three autonomous bodies have been constituted to support the functioning of the Commission:

• Undergraduate and Post Graduate Dental Education Board – to oversee dental education
• Dental Evaluation and Rating Board – to regulate accreditation and institutional assessment
• Dental Ethics and Registration Board to regulate the professional conduct and registration of dentists

The following appointments have been approved in the National Dental Commission and its Autonomous Boards:

National Dental Commission

• Dr Sanjay Tiwari – President
• Dr Moushumi Goswami – Part-time Member

Board of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Education

• Dr Chandrashekhar Janakiram – President
• Dr Shailesh Madhav Lele - Whole Time Member
• Dr Nagaraj M. - Part-time Member

Dental Assessment and Rating Board

• Lt Gen (Retd) Nanda Kishore Sahu – Chairman
• Dr Himanshu Aran - Whole-time Member
• Dr Parimala Tyagi - Part-time Member

Ethics & Dental Registration Board

• Lt Gen (Retd) Tapas Kumar Bandyopadhyay – Full time Member
• Dr Usha Hegde – Whole-time Member
• Dr Swarg Jyoti Das - Part-time Member

Arindam Modak will head the Secretariat as Secretary of NDC.

The National Dental Commission will perform the following functions:

• To make rules to implement the provisions of the Act
• Will evaluate and rate dental institutions
• Evaluate human resources and promote dental research
• Guidelines for fee regulation in private dental colleges to be formulated
• Establish standards for community dental care, education, research, and professional ethics

With the coming into force of the NDC Act from March 19, 2026, the Dentists Act, 1948 was repealed and the Dental Council of India was dissolved from the same date.