Pain in the teeth

The Dental Council of India is defying orders of the health ministry in so many matters. How long can it go down this

road

Dental Council of India (DCI) is a statutory and recommendatory body which comes under the Dentists Act (XVI of

1948). It regulates dental education and the profession of dentistry throughout India. Finances come from the Union

Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW) under the Government of India.

With such a structure, can it behave like its own master and start ignoring injunctions from the ministry?

Recently, the DCI appointed 55-60 members under Section 3(d) and (e) of the Dentists Act 1948. Notifying these

appointments with the health ministry is mandatory.

Coming on top of allegations of irregularities and corruption for years continuously, this is not being seen lightly. But

this time, the MOHFW has taken serious note of the working of DCI, particularly appointment of ineligible members.

TEHELKA has exclusive access to a copy of the minutes of a meeting held under an MOHFW joint secretary.

“It has come to the notice of the ministry that DCI has been issuing notifications for other categories of the Dentists

Act, 1948, especially u/s 3(D) and (e) without consulting the central government in the matter. In this connection,

attention is invited to the provisions under chapter11 of Dentist Act, 1948, which empowered the central government

to constitute the council,” a source reveals.

The MOHFW has issued a letter to DCI on the matter of invalid appointments and various irregularities. It has also

clarified in previous notice to the DCI president that membership of the council is valid only if she/he is appointed by

the central government on the basis of an order or notification. But DCI is continuously indulging in the practice of

not sending names of members who have been selected or nominated.

The ministry is not the DCI’s only critic. In 2011, a CAG report tabled in Parliament also exposed the state of dental

education in India and poor administration. 1/2

The report by CAG also points out that records of 24 out of 240 recognised dental colleges, established between

1982 and 2007, have not been reviewed since the recognition of the colleges. According to the rules, it is important

to review recognition of colleges once every five years. The MOHFW has earlier many times warned DCI to follow

strict rules and regulations .But after the repetition of mistakes, the ministry has expressed strong displeasure and

directed that all members notified by DCI on or after 19 May 2015 be de-notified through a Gazette notification. As a

first step, a showcause notice has been issued to the DCI president.

Ministry has also found many deficiencies in preliminary examination for Masters in Dental Surgery (MDS) course.

Senior lawyer and social activist Prashant Bhushan has also highlighted malpractices in MDS under DCI president

Dr Dibyendu Mazumder. Leading lawyer Prashant Bhushan also demanded a CBI inquiry against DCI members and

wrote a letter to the ministry in this regard.

According to sources in the Dental Council, the president of DCI has illegally appointed members in the council.

Most of the members are directly appointed by the president at the time of election in DCI which helps in gaining

votes. It is telling that Dr Mazumder has been elected as president for the second time. The council elects from the

members its president, vice-president and members of the executive committee.

“They are continuously bringing members illegally. This Dental Council of India should be dissolved or government

should take some strong decision,” says Dr JM Jeyaraj, former member of the DCI.

After getting complaints of corruption in Medical Council of India (MCI), the central government decided to dissolve

all the councils, but it’s believed by the present central government that dissolving these councils isn’t the only way.

“The real issue is how to make these councils more transparent and more worthy. Unfortunately, nothing has been

done yet. I believe there should be one super body to handle these councils,” says Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, BJP MP.

According to sources, Dr Mazumder, who was appointed for the second time, is working as an external faculty in

two universities and as a faculty in West Bengal University without NoC, which is illegal. He is also facing criminal

charges in the Kerala and Delhi high courts.

“DCI president is presently working as a dental faculty in Teerthankar private University and Neelamber Pitamber

University, Jharkhand. This is height of criminal fraud. Just to hold the chairmanship of DCI,” says Dr JM Jeyaraj,

former member of the DCI.

When contacted, DCI President, Dr Mazumder said: “As per norms of DCI anybody can be a member of different

universities but in Medical Council of India (MCI) it’s not allowed. Earlier also many members were members of more

than 2-3 universities. I am not working as an academician except in one university; I am voluntarily working for other

universities.”

On asked about membership from different states, he said: “It’s up to me to surrender membership or not, the case

is already in high court”. It is clear he is unphased.