In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court has ordered the regularization of Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) admissions for students who completed their courses in 2019, despite initial cancellations by the Regulatory Authority.

The Court highlighted the critical shortage of super-specialty doctors in dental science, stressing the importance of addressing this gap for the future of healthcare.

The petitioners, MDS graduates from Madhya Pradesh, had their admissions canceled after enrolling in 2016.

Their Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degrees were obtained from institutions outside Madhya Pradesh, including Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. These admissions were deemed invalid as they bypassed the mandatory counseling process, in violation of a 2016 Supreme Court order.

The Regulatory Authority upheld the cancellations, prompting the students to seek relief from the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

While the High Court initially granted an interim stay allowing the students to complete their MDS courses, it eventually dismissed the petition, reaffirming the cancellation of their admissions.

The petitioners then approached the Supreme Court, which was presided over by Justice BR Gavai and Justice KV Viswanathan.

The respondents, including the State of Madhya Pradesh and the Dental Council of India, argued that the students’ admissions were irregular due to the failure to participate in the required counseling process. They criticized the students for taking "backdoor" admissions and suggested that their violations were more severe than those of students who pursued their BDS degrees within Madhya Pradesh.

However, the Supreme Court disagreed with this argument. The Court noted that students from the same state and college had not faced similar challenges. Justice Gavai pointed out that students who had completed their BDS in Madhya Pradesh were granted their MDS degrees without issue.

The Court further emphasized the importance of the petitioners' educational journey, noting the shortage of super-specialty doctors in dental science. The judges remarked, "If the admission of the appellants is not regularized, the education undertaken by them would go to waste."

Acknowledging the unique circumstances of the case, the Supreme Court quashed the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s orders and ordered the regularization of the petitioners’ admissions, allowing them to receive their MDS degrees.

In its final order, the Court ruled in favor of the students, emphasizing that their education should not be rendered futile. However, the Court made it clear that this decision was specific to the facts of this case and should not be viewed as a precedent for other admission cases.