The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) is in the news again - for all the wrong wrong reasons.

Dental Council of India (DCI) has written to the RGUHS regarding dental fellowship programmes initiated by the university, for teaching and non-teaching institutions. Apparently, the university has not taken permission from DCI or the Central Government to start these fellowship programmes.

In the letter available with the Deccan Herald, the DCI has stated that as per section 10-A of the Dentists (amendment) Act 1993, no course in dentistry can be started without the prior permission of the Central Government. Section 10-A states that, “...no person shall establish an authority or institution for a course of study or training (including a Post Graduate course of study or training) which would enable a student of such course or training to qualify himself for the grant of recognised dental qualification.”

Further, it states that no authority or institution conducting a course of study or training (including PG course of training or study) for grant of recognised dental qualification shall increase its admission capacity in any course.

New courses

The university has initiated four Fellowship programmes and two certificate courses - implant dentistry and implantology - for the academic year 2008-09.

The Fellowship programmes are: Aesthetic Dentistry, Aesthetic Facial Surgery, Cleft lip and Palate Surgery and Maxillofacial Prosthodontics. Candidates with PG in dental are eligible for fellowship programmes, while candidates with bachelor's degree are eligible for certificate course.

The intake for fellowship programmes is one candidate per year; for the certificate course, the institute can have maximum of five candidates per year. The university registration fee for these programmes is Rs 15,000.

However, the institutional fee and material fee is yet to be decided.

Candidates interested to study these programmes have to write an entrance exam, which will be conducted by the institutions. The short listed candidates will be interviewed by an expert panel constituted by RGUHS for which the programme director or professor or the Head of the Department will be included. Preference will be given to the In-service candidates in order to encourage development and growth of the departments.

Registrar upset

RGUHS Registrar Dr S Vasanth Kumar said that he was “upset” over the DCI’s letter and questioned the role of the university in initiating the programmes. “Are we just a degree awarding institution? Don't we have any role to play at all?” he asked.

Later, he said that dental faculty of the university has designed the curriculum for the programmes.

“The objective of the programme is only to hone the skills of the students. Moreover, having specialists in these areas will prove boon to society,” he said, adding that the university has already received applications for these courses.

However, Mr Kumar said, that he would take legal opinion and also consult syndicate members before replying to the DCI. The varsity has received 6 to 7 applications so far.