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NEWS TODAY 27.09.2026

Jamia’s first PG dental surgery batch asked to sign nostrike undertaking

27.09.2026

Sugandha.Jha1@timesofindia.com

New Delhi: Candidates allotted seats in Jamia Millia Islamia’s first batch of Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) this year are being asked to sign an undertaking that prohibits them from participating in or associating themselves with any strike or activity deemed “prejudicial to the interests, discipline, peace and functioning” of the university. The undertaking, which is part of the documents required for completing admission formalities, comes alongside a Rs 10-lakh bond that MDS students are required to furnish if they leave the course midway.

The bond requires the student and the surety to pay Rs 10 lakh, with 15% interest till realisation, if the student withdraws from the course “for any reason whatsoever”. Jamia, however, said the undertaking “will have no bearing” on admission. The university said MDS seats were being allotted through counselling by Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) on the basis of NEET-MDS merit and the undertaking was merely an admission formality.

“In case someone does not sign the undertaking, it does not mean that admission will not be granted as seats are allotted by MCC,” chief public relations officer Saima Saeed told TOI. The bond, Saeed said, is intended to compensate for the public investment in infrastructure, faculty, manpower and clinical resources and the loss of a PG seat once the programme has commenced. It is intended to ensure that scarce MDS seats are utilised responsibly, she added.

However, Jamia’s newly framed ordinance for the course, approved by its executive council in June, says admissions will be in accordance with the rules prescribed by National Dental Commission (NDC) and the university. The undertaking and bond are among the documents prescribed by the ordinance, but NDC doesn’t ask for them. Explaining the no-strike clause, Saeed said it was intended to maintain academic discipline in the demanding postgraduate programme.

“As these are rigorous courses, attendance is a major requirement and indulging in protest, etc., can impact that. That clause is there to ensure general discipline and maintain a cordial and healthy environment,” she said.

Jamia claimed that no other course had a no-strike clause. Its Bachelor of Dental Surgery students, however, are required to furnish a Rs 3-lakh discontinuation bond. Such bonds are also introduced by several other institutions. Maulana Azad Dental College has a Rs 10-lakh bond, while Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University have bonds of Rs 8 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively.

The PG programme is a sought-after choice among candidates appearing for the highly competitive NEET-MDS examination, Jamia said.