Cabinet approves the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2019

Making Dental Council more effective

Amendments in the Dentists Act

In order to make the Dental Council of India more effective, the Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the introduction of a Bill to amend the Dentists Act, 1948 (16 of 1948). The decision also gives effect, with certain modifications, to the provisions of the Dentists Act, 1948 with regard to the membership of the Dental Council of India and membership of State and Joint State Dental Councils.

Impact:

The amendment will help restructure the Dental Councils and the representation of Central Government members and elected members would no longer be made mandatory in the Dental Councils.

In the process it will reduce the redundancy.          

The Bill will be introduced in the upcoming session of Parliament

Details:

To amend the following clauses of the Dentists Act, 1948:

(i)  Membership of the Dental Council of India under clause (f) of section 3 and

(ii) Membership of State and Joint State Dental Councils under clause (b) of section 21 and clause (b) of section 23 of the said Act.

Background:

The representation of dentists registered in Part B as Central Government nominees in the Dental Council of India and the election of four/ two members from Part B to the State / Joint State Dental Councils under the respective clauses in the Act have lost relevance. With a view to reducing the redundancy of the provisions of their representation, the Central Government has decided to delete these provisions so that their representation does not remain mandatory any more.