Students of dental colleges found consuming tobacco, alcohol, gutkha or drugs may soon face legal action. In a first of its kind move to keep the students off such items causing ill-health, the Dental Council of India (DCI) has made it mandatory for the dental colleges to seek affidavits from their students stating that they will not indulge themselves in such vices on the college, hostel, hospital and canteen premises.
The dental regulator’s move aims to make the college campus tobacco and drug free zones as well as make the defaulters legally accountable for the violations. There are over 300 dental colleges across the country.
“As per our guidelines, it is mandatory on the part of the college authorities of all the dental colleges to ensure that the consumption of alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gutkha and smoking is prohibited on the college premises, hospital, hostel and canteen,” said a senior official from the DCI.
However, he added, in many cases it was found that students even when caught violating the guidelines escape without any punishment.
“We want to ensure that students are also held responsible for their actions. Hence, we are now asking the students admitted from this academic session to furnish an affidavit stating that they will not indulge themselves in consumption of any of such items which have ill-effect on the health,” the official said.
Alcohol and drug use is slowly becoming a major issue in the community and at times on college campuses too. They can seriously damage physical and mental health, as well as jeopardize personal and public safety.
“In addition, excessive alcohol consumption may lead to physical abuse, date rape, auto accidents, violence, and other behaviors that lead to self-destruction,” the official added. The DCI has also decided to conduct surprise checks in the private dental colleges to check temporary recruitment of doctors.
“Also, salary slips of the teaching staff can be checked at the time of inspection while colleges will be asked to send the salary statements of the faculty once in a year to DCI to prevent appointment of any part-time faculty,” said the official. The DCI has also taken exception to non-implementation of the biometric attendance system by many colleges.