The National Dental Commission (NDC), on July 1, 2026, issued a circular prohibiting the conduct, promotion, affiliation, certification, or advertisement of unauthorised dental courses and programmes without prior approval under the National Dental Commission Act, 2023. The circular was issued after the Commission observed that several institutions, universities, hospitals, trusts, societies, and private organisations were offering unapproved degree, diploma, certificate, fellowship, and other dental education programmes.
The Commission clarified that no institution, university, dental college, hospital, trust, society, private organisation, or individual shall commence or conduct any undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, certificate, fellowship, or similar dental education programme unless it has been specifically approved, recognised, or permitted under the National Dental Commission Act, 2023. It further stated that qualifications obtained through unauthorised programmes shall not be recognised under the Act and shall not confer any right to registration, eligibility, or professional entitlement.
The circular also directs Dental Colleges, Universities, Deemed-to-be Universities, State Governments, and State Dental Councils not to grant affiliation, equivalence, or recognition to unapproved dental programmes. Institutions found conducting or promoting such programmes may face regulatory action, including discontinuation of the programme, inspection, declaration of the qualification as unrecognised, communication of violations to the concerned authorities, publication of defaulting institutions, and other actions permissible under law.
[F. No. UGPGDEB/NDC/26/2026/DEB-96]
