Government Constitutes National Dental Commission to Transform Dental Education and Strengthen Healthcare Quality

• National Dental Commission (NDC) is the new apex regulator for dental education and profession in India, established under the National Dental Commission Act, 2023 (Act No. 21 of 2023).
• It replaces the Dental Council of India (DCI) — a 75-year-old elected body under the Dentists Act, 1948 — with a nominated, transparent, quality-driven framework.
• Operationalised via notifications dated 19 March 2026, modelled on the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act, 2019.
• UPSC relevance: classic GS-II topic on statutory regulators, health governance reform, and institutional re-engineering.