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Three years from now, all dental colleges across the country will have to possess a quality certificate from the Bangalore-based National Assessment and Accredited Council (NAAC) indicating the status of the facilities they have to offer to the students.
The Dental Council of India (DCI) made it compulsory for all 295 dental colleges including those run by the State Governments to get accredited within the next three years with the NAAC in a recent order. The NAAC is an autonomous body with the University Grant Commission (UGC).
The move follows concern over the unchecked spurt in colleges, particularly in the private sector, which was not only disturbing the student-teacher ratio but had also resulted in poor quality of service at the cost of the students as well as the patients.
“The certificate from the NAAC would take care of the quality aspect,” DCI vice-president Dr Mahesh Verma told The Pioneer.
The NAAC would issue certificates to colleges after thorough assessment based on the status of the infrastructural and other facilities such as faculty strength, clinical, material and other aspects, added Dr Verma who is also the principal of Delhi-based Maulana Azad Dental College.
“This would give better option to students and parents to choose best college. This would also deter colleges from charging high in case they have received poor grades,” he said.
Of late, the quality of education has become a major concern for experts and students, as was also observed by the Executive Committee members of the DCI in its meeting held in February 8.
The members decided “…that all dental institutions be brought under provisions of the Dental Council of India (Miscellaneous) Regulations, 2007 which says Accreditation of Dental Institutions in the country by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is mandatory,” the order said.
The accreditation body was established in 1994 in response to the findings of the national policy of education and UGC had mandated that all institutions of higher learning be brought under the accreditation and assessment process of the Council to ensure best practices and qualitative standards in teaching institutions.
The move for making it mandatory for dental institutions to get quality certificate comes close on the heels of the DCI’s recent letter to all the States to not to give approvals to new private colleges in view of enough undergraduate dental seats in the country.
The Dental Council of India (DCI) made it compulsory for all 295 dental colleges including those run by the State Governments to get accredited within the next three years with the NAAC in a recent order. The NAAC is an autonomous body with the University Grant Commission (UGC).
The move follows concern over the unchecked spurt in colleges, particularly in the private sector, which was not only disturbing the student-teacher ratio but had also resulted in poor quality of service at the cost of the students as well as the patients.
“The certificate from the NAAC would take care of the quality aspect,” DCI vice-president Dr Mahesh Verma told The Pioneer.
The NAAC would issue certificates to colleges after thorough assessment based on the status of the infrastructural and other facilities such as faculty strength, clinical, material and other aspects, added Dr Verma who is also the principal of Delhi-based Maulana Azad Dental College.
“This would give better option to students and parents to choose best college. This would also deter colleges from charging high in case they have received poor grades,” he said.
Of late, the quality of education has become a major concern for experts and students, as was also observed by the Executive Committee members of the DCI in its meeting held in February 8.
The members decided “…that all dental institutions be brought under provisions of the Dental Council of India (Miscellaneous) Regulations, 2007 which says Accreditation of Dental Institutions in the country by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) is mandatory,” the order said.
The accreditation body was established in 1994 in response to the findings of the national policy of education and UGC had mandated that all institutions of higher learning be brought under the accreditation and assessment process of the Council to ensure best practices and qualitative standards in teaching institutions.
The move for making it mandatory for dental institutions to get quality certificate comes close on the heels of the DCI’s recent letter to all the States to not to give approvals to new private colleges in view of enough undergraduate dental seats in the country.
