The Government of India formally constituted the National Dental Commission (NDC) effective March 19, 2026, replacing the Dental Council of India (DCI) that had governed dental regulation since the Dentists Act, 1948. The NDC Act came into force on March 19, 2026, simultaneously repealing the 78-year-old Dentists Act, 1948 and dissolving the DCI.

Dr. Sanjay Tewari was appointed as Chairperson of the NDC, with Dr. Mousumi Goswami as Part-Time Member. The NDC operates through three specialized autonomous boards: (1) Undergraduate and Postgraduate Dental Education Board — overseeing curriculum and educational standards; (2) Dental Assessment and Rating Board — handling institutional accreditation and performance evaluations; and (3) Ethics and Dental Registration Board — managing professional conduct and maintaining the national dentist registry.

The reform shifts dental regulation from an elected body structure to an appointed body of distinguished professionals, improving transparency and reducing localized regulatory interests. The NDC frames regulations for institutional quality assessments across all dental colleges in India, fee guidelines for private dental institutions to ensure affordability, human resource planning, and community dental care protocols.

Significance: With over 315 dental colleges and more than 25,000 dental graduates produced annually, India is one of the world's largest producers of dental professionals. The reform aligns India's dental education with global standards. For Rajasthan, which has several private dental colleges including in Jaipur and Jodhpur, the NDC's fee regulation and accreditation norms directly impact dental education quality and accessibility.