New Delhi, October 23: President Droupadi Murmu has delegated specified powers and functions of the State Government under the National Dental Commission Act, 2023, to the Lieutenant Governors and administrators of all eight Union Territories, including Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification under Article 239(1) of the Constitution, authorising the administrators of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Ladakh and Lakshadweep to exercise the powers and discharge the functions of the State Government under Sections 29, 48 and 56 of the Act within their respective territories.
According to the notification, the delegation will operate subject to the control of the President and remain in force until further orders.
The order provides the administrative framework for the exercise of these specified statutory functions in the Union Territories. It does not transfer all powers of the National Dental Commission to the Lieutenant Governors or administrators; rather, it authorises them to discharge the functions assigned to the State Government under the three specified sections of the legislation.
The National Dental Commission Act, 2023, was enacted to regulate dental education and the dentistry profession in the country, with a focus on improving the quality of dental education, ensuring affordable access and strengthening the delivery of oral healthcare services.
The Act received Presidential assent on August 11, 2023, and came into force on February 29, 2024. It introduced a new regulatory framework for the dental sector, replacing the Dental Council of India with the National Dental Commission.
The legislation provides for the constitution of the National Dental Commission and State Dental Councils, along with three autonomous boards to oversee key aspects of dental education, professional standards and institutional regulation.
It also provides for a fixed tenure for the Commission’s chairperson, members and secretary, without reappointment, and envisages greater transparency in regulatory processes. Other provisions include an online National Register, a Dental Advisory Council and mechanisms for coordination with other statutory bodies in the healthcare and allied professions.
The Act also empowers the Commission to frame guidelines for determining fees for 50 per cent of seats in private dental colleges and deemed universities, an arrangement intended to address affordability while strengthening regulatory oversight.
The legislation seeks to bring dental education and professional standards in line with evolving healthcare requirements and international benchmarks. Its broader objectives include improving the availability of qualified dental professionals, strengthening accountability in dental institutions and expanding access to quality oral healthcare.
