16. Constitution of Autonomous Boards.—(1) The Central Government shall, by notification, constitute the following Autonomous Boards, under the overall supervision of the Commission, to perform the functions assigned to such Boards under this Act, namely:— (a) the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board; (b) the Dental Assessment and Rating Board; and (c) the Ethics and Dental Registration Board. (2) Every Autonomous Board shall carry out its functions under this Act in such manner as may be specified by regulations. 17. Composition of Autonomous Boards.—(1) Every Autonomous Board shall consist of a President, not more than two whole-time Members and not more than two part-time Members. (2) The President of each Autonomous Board, two whole-time Members and one parttime Member of the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board, and one whole-time Member and one part-time Member of the Dental Assessment and Rating Board and of the Ethics and Dental Registration Board, shall be persons of outstanding ability, proven administrative capacity and integrity, possessing a postgraduate degree in any discipline of dentistry from any University and having hands-on clinical experience of not less than fifteen years, out of which at least seven years shall be as a leader in the area of dental education. (3) The second whole-time Member of the Dental Assessment and Rating Board shall be a person of outstanding ability and integrity, possessing a postgraduate degree in any of the disciplines of management, quality assurance, law or science and technology from any University, having experience of not less than fifteen years in such field, out of which at least seven years shall be as a leader. (4) The second whole-time Member of the Ethics and Dental Registration Board shall be a person of outstanding ability who has demonstrated public record of work on dental or 16 medical ethics or a person of outstanding ability possessing a postgraduate degree in any of the disciplines of quality assurance, public health, law or patient advocacy from any University and having experience of not less than fifteen years in such field, out of which at least seven years shall be as a leader. (5) The second part-time Member of the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board, the Dental Assessment and Rating Board and the Ethics and Dental Registration Board shall be chosen from amongst the Members appointed under clause (c) of sub-section (4) of section 4 in such manner as may be prescribed. 18. Search-cum-Selection Committee for appointment of President and Members.—The Central Government shall appoint the President and Members of the Autonomous Boards, except Members referred to in sub-section (5) of section 17, on the recommendations made by the Search-cum-Selection Committee constituted under section 5 in accordance with the procedure specified in that section. 19. Term of office and conditions of service of President and Members.—(1) The President and Members (other than part-time Members) of each Autonomous Board shall hold the office for a term not exceeding four years and shall not be eligible for any extension or reappointment: Provided that part-time Members of each Autonomous Board shall hold the office for a term of two years: Provided further that the President or a Member shall cease to hold office after attaining the age of seventy years. (2) The salaries and allowances payable to, and other terms and conditions of service of the President and Members (other than part-time Members) of an Autonomous Board shall be such as may be prescribed: Provided that part-time Members of each Autonomous Board shall be entitled for such allowances as may be prescribed. (3) The provisions of sub-sections (3), (5), (6) and (7) of section 6 relating to other terms and conditions of service of, and section 7 relating to removal from the office of, the Chairperson and Members of the Commission shall also be applicable to the President and Members of the Autonomous Boards. 20. Advisory committees of experts.—(1) Each Autonomous Board, except the Ethics and Dental Registration Board, shall be assisted by such advisory committees of experts as may be constituted by the Commission for the efficient discharge of the functions of such Boards under this Act: Provided that the advisory committee for the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board shall also have at least one member from amongst personnel of each category of the dental auxiliaries to be nominated by the Chairperson of the Commission, in such manner as may be specified by regulations. (2) The Ethics and Dental Registration Board shall be assisted by such ethics committees of experts as may be constituted by the Commission for the efficient discharge of the functions of that Board under this Act. 17 21. Staff of Autonomous Boards.—The experts, consultants, professionals, officers and other employees appointed under section 8 shall be made available to the Autonomous Boards in such number, and in such manner, as may be specified by regulations by the Commission: Provided that the experts and domain specialists from foreign countries invited by the Commission under sub-section (8) of section 8 shall also be made available to the Autonomous Boards in such number and manner, as may be specified by regulations. 22. Meetings, etc., of Autonomous Boards.—(1) Every Autonomous Board shall meet at least once every month, or earlier, as the case may be, at such time and place as it may appoint. (2) All decisions of the Autonomous Boards shall be made by majority of votes of the President and Members. (3) Subject to the provisions of section 28, a person who is aggrieved by any decision of an Autonomous Board may prefer an appeal to the Commission against such decision within thirty days of the communication of such decision; and the Commission shall, after giving an opportunity of being heard, dispose of the appeal within a period of sixty days from the date of such appeal: Provided that the President of the concerned Board shall not attend proceedings of the hearing of the appeal made against the decision of his Board. 23. Powers of Autonomous Boards and delegation of powers.—(1) The President of each Autonomous Board shall have such administrative and financial powers as may be delegated to it by the Commission to enable such Board to function efficiently. (2) The President of an Autonomous Board may further delegate any of his powers to a Member or an officer of that Board, and such person shall exercise his powers subject to the general control, supervision and direction of the President. 24. Powers and functions of Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board.—(1) The Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board shall perform the following functions, namely: — (a) determine minimum requirements and standards of dental education at undergraduate level and postgraduate level for dentists and dental auxiliaries in accordance with the regulations made under this Act, and oversee all aspects relating thereto; (b) develop competency based dynamic curriculum at undergraduate level and postgraduate level for dentists and dental auxiliaries for addressing the needs of basic dental care services, including public dentistry and community dental care, in accordance with the provisions of regulations made under this Act with a view to develop appropriate skill, knowledge, attitude, values and ethics to provide dental care, impart dental education and conduct dental research; (c) frame guidelines for setting up of dental institutions for imparting undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses for dentists and dental auxiliaries, having regard to the needs of the country and the global norms, in accordance with the regulations made under this Act; 18 (d) determine the minimum requirements and standards for conducting courses and examinations at undergraduate level and postgraduate level for dentists and dental auxiliaries in dental institutions, having regard to the needs of creativity at local levels, including designing of some courses by individual institutions, in accordance with provisions of the regulations made under this Act; (e) determine standards and norms for infrastructure, faculty and quality of education in dental institutions providing undergraduate and postgraduate dental education for dentists and dental auxiliaries in accordance with provisions of the regulations made under this Act; (f) facilitate development and training of faculty members teaching undergraduate courses for dentists and dental auxiliaries; (g) facilitate research and the international student and faculty exchange programme relating to undergraduate and postgraduate dental education; (h) specify norms for compulsory annual disclosures, electronically or otherwise, by dental institutions, in respect of their functions which have a bearing on the interest of all stakeholders, including students, faculty, State Dental Councils, Joint Dental Council, the Commission and the Central Government; (i) grant recognition to a dental qualification at the undergraduate level and postgraduate level for dentists and dental auxiliaries. (2) The Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board shall, in the discharge of its duties, make such recommendations to, and seek such directions from, the Commission, as it deems necessary. 25. Powers and functions of Dental Assessment and Rating Board.—(1) The Dental Assessment and Rating Board shall perform the following functions, namely:— (a) determine the procedure for assessing and rating the dental institutions for their compliance with the standards laid down by the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board in accordance with the regulations made under this Act; (b) grant permission for establishment of a new dental institution, or to start any postgraduate course or to increase number of seats, in accordance with the provisions of section 28; (c) conduct inspections of dental institutions using Information Technology based tools or otherwise for assessing and rating such institutions in accordance with the regulations made under this Act: Provided that the Dental Assessment and Rating Board may, if it deems necessary, hire and authorise any other third party agency or accreditation body or persons for carrying out inspections of dental institutions for assessing and rating such institutions: Provided further that where inspection of dental institutions is carried out by such third party agency or accreditation body or persons authorised by the Dental Assessment and Rating Board, it shall be obligatory on such institutions to provide access to such agency or person; 19 (d) conduct, or where it deems necessary, empanel independent rating agencies to conduct, inspection to assess and rate all dental institutions, within such period of their opening, and every year thereafter, at such time, and in such manner, as may be specified by regulations: Provided that the Dental Assessment and Rating Board may conduct evaluation and assessment of any dental institution at any time, either directly or through any other expert having integrity and experience of dental profession and without any prior notice and assess and evaluate the performance, standards and benchmarks of such dental institution; (e) make available on its website or in public domain the assessment and ratings of dental institutions at regular intervals in accordance with the regulations made under this Act; (f) take such measures, including issuing warning, imposition of monetary penalty, reducing intake or stoppage of admissions and recommending to the Commission for withdrawal of recognition, against a dental institution for failure to maintain the minimum essential standards specified by the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board, in accordance with the regulations made under this Act: Provided that the monetary penalty so imposed shall not be less than one-tenth, and not more than five times, of the total amount charged, by whatever name called, by such institution for one full batch of students of undergraduate course or postgraduate course, as the case may be: Provided further that the Dental Assessment and Rating Board shall consult the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board before recommending to the Commission for withdrawal of recognition of a dental institution that fails to maintain the minimum essential standards specified by the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board. (2) The Dental Assessment and Rating Board shall, in the discharge of its functions, make such recommendations to, and seek such directions from, the Commission, as it deems necessary. 26. Powers and functions of Ethics and Dental Registration Board.— (1) The Ethics and Dental Registration Board shall perform the following functions, namely:— (a) maintain an online and live National Registers of all licensed dentists and dental auxiliaries in accordance with the provisions of section 30; (b) regulate the standards, scope of practice, professional conduct and promote dental ethics in accordance with the regulations made under this Act: Provided that the Ethics and Dental Registration Board shall ensure compliance of the code of professional and ethical conduct through the State Dental Council in a case where such State Dental Council has been conferred power to take disciplinary actions in respect of professional or ethical misconduct by dentists under respective State Acts; (c) approve or reject the application for registration or suspend or cancel registration or licence granted to dentists and dental auxiliaries on grounds of professional and ethical misconduct; 20 (d) develop mechanisms to have continuous interaction with State Dental Councils to effectively promote and regulate the conduct of dentists and professionals; (e) exercise appellate jurisdiction under sub-section (5) of section 29 with respect to the actions taken by a State Dental Council. (2) The Ethics and Dental Registration Board shall, in the discharge of its duties, make such recommendations to, and seek such directions from, the Commission, as it deems necessary. 27. Permission for establishment of new dental college or to start postgraduate course or to increase number of seats.—(1) No person shall establish a new dental college or start any postgraduate course or increase number of seats without obtaining prior permission of the Dental Assessment and Rating Board: Provided that the Dental Assessment and Rating Board shall consult the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board before approving or disapproving such permission. (2) For the purposes of obtaining permission under sub-section (1), a person may submit a scheme to the Dental Assessment and Rating Board in such form, containing such particulars, accompanied by such fee, and in such manner, as may be specified by regulations. (3) The Dental Assessment and Rating Board shall, having due regard to the criteria specified in section 28, consider the scheme received under sub-section (2) and either approve or disapprove such scheme within a period of six months from the date of such receipt: Provided that the Dental Assessment and Rating Board shall consult the Under-Graduate and Post-Graduate Dental Education Board before approving such scheme: Provided further that before disapproving the scheme, an opportunity to rectify the defects, if any, shall be given to the person concerned. (4) Where a scheme is approved under sub-section (3), such approval shall be the permission under sub-section (1) to establish new dental college or to start any postgraduate course or to increase number of seats, as the case may be. (5) Where a scheme is disapproved under sub-section (3), or where no decision is taken within six months of submitting a scheme under sub-section (1), the person concerned may prefer an appeal to the Commission for approval of the scheme within fifteen days of such disapproval or, as the case may be, lapse of six months, in such manner as may be specified by regulations. (6) The Commission shall decide the appeal received under sub-section (5) within a period of sixty days from the date of receipt of the appeal and in case the Commission approves the scheme, such approval shall be the permission under sub-section (1) to establish a new dental college or to start any postgraduate course or to increase number of seats, as the case may be, and in case the Commission disapproves the Scheme, or fails to give its decision within the specified period, the person concerned may prefer a second appeal to the Central Government within thirty days of communication of such disapproval or, as the case may be, lapse of specified period. 21 (7) The Dental Assessment and Rating Board may conduct evaluation and assessment of any dental institution at any time, either directly or through any other expert having integrity and experience in dental profession, without any prior notice and assess and evaluate the performance, standards and benchmarks of such dental institution. Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, the term “person” includes a University, trust or any other association of persons or body of individuals, but does not include the Central Government. 28. Criteria for approving or disapproving scheme.—While approving or disapproving a scheme under section 27, the Dental Assessment and Rating Board, or the Commission, as the case may be, shall take into consideration the following criteria, namely:— (a) adequacy of financial resources; (b) whether adequate academic faculty and other necessary facilities have been provided to ensure proper functioning of dental college or undertaken to be provided within the time-limit specified in the scheme; (c) whether adequate hospital facilities have been provided or undertaken to be provided within the time-limit specified in the scheme; (d) such other factors as may be specified by regulations.