Draft Bill Proposes Exit Exam For Dental Students

If the draft of National Dental Commission Bill 2020 gets approval, BDS (undergraduate dental) students shall have to appear for an exit exam before pursuing MDS (postgraduate dental) and for obtaining license for practicing dentistry.

The draft of National Dental Commission Bill 2020 has been released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Before finalizing the bill, which would repeal the Dentists Act, 1948, comments and suggestions have been sought from general public on the draft bill till February 20.

"General public is hereby informed that the Ministry of Health and Family welfare proposes to finalise National Dental commission Bill for setting up a National Dental commission and repealing the Dentists Act, 1948," said the Ministry in a communique.

The draft bill proposes an exit exam for undergraduate dental students. The exam will be referred to as National Exit Test (NEXT), which is in line with the MBBS exit exam.

The NEXT will be a screening test for admission to postgraduate dental courses and will be also be mandatory for obtaining license to practice dentistry.

"The National Exit Test (Dental) shall become operational on such date, within three years from the date of commencement of this Act, as may be appointed by the Central Government by notification," reads the draft bill.

The NEXT will also be an entrance test for foreign candidates who have completed the undergraduate dental course in foreign country. "Any person with a foreign dental qualification shall have to qualify National Exit Test (Dental) for the purpose of obtaining licence to practice dentistry as dentist and for enrolment in the State Register or the National Register, as the case may be in such manner as may be specified by regulations," reads the draft bill.

The draft bill proposes constitution of four autonomous boards: the under-graduate dental education board, the post-graduate dental education board, the dental assessment and rating board and the ethics and dental registration board. Each of the boards will have one President and two whole-time members and two part-time members.

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