25Powers 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;
(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.