Health Ministry mandates 80% biometric attendance for PG dental students

The National Dental Commission (NDC) has directed all dental colleges and universities across the country to ensure that postgraduate (PG) dental students maintain at least 80 per cent biometric attendance to become eligible for university examinations.

The commission has also warned institutions that they will be held accountable if they permit students with inadequate biometric attendance to sit for examinations.

In its notice, the NDC said:

The commission further directed institutions to strictly enforce the rule, stating, “You are hereby directed to ensure that no PG student is allowed to appear in



the University/PG examination, if the biometric attendance is less than 80%, and the institution shall be held responsible for such non-compliance with the statutory directions issued by the National Dental Commission.”

The current notice follows on an earlier directive issued on January 19, 2026, when the then Dental Council of India (DCI) had instructed institutions to implement the minimum biometric attendance requirement. That circular was based on the recommendations of the DCI’s Grievance Sub-Committee after it examined complaints regarding inadequate attendance of postgraduate dental students in colleges across Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.