In a new communication sent to university registrars and principals and deans of dental colleges across the country, the National Dental Commission (NDC) has directed institutions not to allow any post-graduate (PG) dental student with less than 80 percent biometric attendance to appear in university examinations. He also made it clear that colleges will be held responsible if they fail to enforce the rule.The letter, issued on June 30, 2026, is not a new regulation. Instead, it is a reminder that the attendance requirement already exists in Regulation 18 (a) (i) of the Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) Course Regulations of the Dental Council of India (DCI), 2017.
The Commission reminds colleges of the existing attendance requirement
The latest notice refers to a previous communication issued on January 19, 2026, in which institutions were advised to ensure that all postgraduate students maintain at least 80 percent biometric attendance.Citing the regulation, the commission reminded colleges that the attendance requirement is mandatory before students can be considered eligible for university exams.He further directed the institutions to ensure that no postgraduate student is allowed to appear in the University or PG examination if the biometric attendance is below 80 percent.The commission also warned that the institution concerned will be held responsible for any violation of the statutory directions issued by the National Dental Commission.
The rule follows complaints from three states
The latest recall traces its origin to complaints received earlier this year from postgraduate dental colleges in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.Those complaints were investigated by the Dental Council of India, which found cases where post-graduate students did not meet the prescribed attendance requirement.After examining the matter, the committee recommended strict implementation of Regulation 18 (a) (i) of the DCI MDS Course Regulations, 2017, making biometric attendance a key condition before students are allowed to appear for MDS exams.This recommendation led to the January 19 circular. The June 30 communication now reinforces the same instruction with an added warning about institutional responsibility.If a postgraduate student with a biometric presence of less than 80 percent is allowed to sit for the exam, the institution may be held responsible for not complying with the statutory instructions of the commission.Read the official notice here
