43 Desh Bhagat University pupils’ admission declared invalid

Vishav Bharti

Chandigarh, October 17

After the controversy over the recognition of nursing students at Desh Bhagat University, now the Dental Council of India (DCI) has raised a red flag on BDS students of the university as well.

In a communication sent to the Punjab Government last week, the DCI has asked all state dental councils to not register any of the 43 students, who were allegedly admitted by Desh Bhagat University without following the process of counselling.

Of these students, five were from 2020-21, 23 students from 2021-22 and 15 from 2022-23 batch of the BDS course.

In the communication, Deputy Secretary of the Dental Council of India said that as per the decision taken in the Executive Committee of the DCI atits meeting held in Delhi on September 21, all state dental councils/tribunals be directed not to register the 43 students, claimed to be admitted in the BDS course for academic sessions 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 at Desh Bhagat Dental College and Hospital, Mandi Gobindgarh, as these students had been admitted by the college without any approval from the counselling authority concerned which is Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot.

The DCI has also asked all state dental councils or tribunals not to add MDS qualification of one Dr Rupinder Jyot Singh in their dental register, claimed to be admitted in MDS course for the academic session 2021-22 at Desh Bhagat Dental College and Hospital, Mandi Gobindgarh, since he has been admitted by the college, without any allotment from the counselling authority concerned.

Punjab’s Special Chief Secretary Anurag Aggarwal confirmed the development and said they had received a communication from the DCI last week.

Last month, after a protest by nursing students, the Department of Medical Education and Research carried out an inspection in which it was found that more than double the number of students permitted by the Indian Nursing Council had been admitted in the university. Apart from that, the infrastructure was totally inadequate.

The Punjab Government had sent its inspection report to the nursing council, following which they acted against the university. Acting on Punjab Government’s report, the nursing council had asked the Punjab Government to immediately withdraw the recognition granted to the university and shift all the nursing students to other recognised colleges.

Don’t register them: DCI to councils

• They were admitted by Desh Bhagat University in the BDS course without following the due counselling process
• The Dental Council of India asks govt not to register them
• Among them, five were from 2020-21, 23 from 2021-22 and 15 from 2022-23 batches