The Oral Health Sciences Centre (OHSC), PGIMER, Chandigarh successfully hosted the 5th Meeting of the National Steering Group (NSG) on Oral Health under the National Oral Health Program of the Govt of India on May 6–7, 2025.
This landmark two-day event brought together leading policymakers, academicians, and public health experts from across India to deliberate on the finalization of the ‘National Oral Healthcare implementation Framework’.
The meeting was chaired by Dr. L. Swasticharan, DDG, DteGHS, MoHFW, Govt. of India, who also chairs the National Steering Group on Oral Health in India and has been a pivotal force behind mainstreaming oral health in India’s national health agenda. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Swasticharan highlighted that this is the first time such a comprehensive national oral health framework has been developed in alignment with the WHO Global Strategy and Action Plan on Oral Health 2023–30, reaffirming WHO's commitment that “there is no health without oral health.” This framework will serve as a key guiding document for states to formulate their respective oral health action plans, he said.
Prof. Sanjay Jain, Dean of Research, PGIMER, underscored the importance of integration across disciplines, stating, “Oral health must be embedded into the national research ecosystem—it cannot remain isolated any longer.”
The event also witnessed participation from premier institutions such as AIIMS Delhi, Dental Council of India, National Health Systems Resource Centre, WHO Country Office, and Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, New Delhi, GDC Rohtak, Lady Harding’s Medical college, RIMS Imphal among others.
. The sessions featured in-depth discussions around five key policy objectives: service delivery, capacity building, research, integration with broader health programmes, and tertiary care services. This event builds on PGIMER’s Oral Health Sciences Centre’s growing reputation as a national thought leader in oro-dental public health.
In 2021, the Centre was designated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as the National Resource Centre for Oral Healthcare of Children and Elderly (NRC-FORCE) — an honor acknowledging its pioneering efforts in serving vulnerable populations. The centre has also organized the 2nd National Workshop for Drafting India’s National Oral Health Policy (2018) and the 1st as well as the 2nd Meeting of the NSG on Oral Health (2022 & 2023), reinforcing its pivotal role in shaping India’s oral health future.
On the occasion Prof. Arun Agarwal, Head of Community Medicine, PGIMER, highlighted the synergy between oral and general health. Prof. S.P. Singh, Head, OHSC, reiterated the institution's commitment to improving access and equity in oral healthcare. Prof. Ashima Goyal, Senior Faculty, OHSC, underlined the significance of early-life interventions in improving oral and general health.
With this meeting, OHSC once again reaffirmed its leadership in oral health policy advocacy and its commitment to equitable, evidence-based dental care for all Indians.