Fourth year dental students of 2007 batch denied internship

The dental students have demanded waiver of fee and one year internship facility,without which they claim they they will not get any clinical experience.

As per the regulation of Dental Council of India (DCI),a change in course curriculum of dental students took place last year according to which their course was extended from four to five years within the college and internship was excluded. That clinical experience was to be given by the colleges within the campus itself. However following the objections,this condition has been withdrawn recently and once again 4 + 1 year internship facility has been added. This is applicable to all batches,except the 2007 batch,who deposited their fee in June this year. Earlier,no fee was to be charged during the internship period.

Dr Kamal Baghi,Vice-Chairman of Association of private dental and medical colleges of Punjab said,“Rs 1.5 lakh per annum was the fee for the fifth year,but after intervention of Government we have reduced it to only Rs 35,000. These are our user charges. Now already one trimester is over and the letters of DCI have just reached us. So it does not seem possible to shift 2007 batch to internship,their course work was being followed as per the five-year plan,so that also has to be completed.”

He said,“The students will be given enough clinical experience within the college campuses itself.” Many colleges have already got the old fee deposited (Rs 1 lakh per annum) and have not followed the reduction norms,rued the students. Dr Baghi however said,“I am not aware of this,according to me all have taken fee at the rate of Rs 35,000 per annum.”

The students meanwhile are asking for waiver of fee but so far no such decision been taken in this regard.