The Higher Education Review

"And God said: 'Let there be light, and there was light'. And God saw that the light was good." ­ A quote from The Book of Genesis, where it says that god wanted light to spread on earth for the betterment of human race. And thus, light obeyed god's order and it started enlightening humans with righteous knowledge and education. From this, it is very clear that the genesis or commencement of something fruitful is impossible to ignore. And likewise, no one can deny the contribution of Genesis Institute of Dental Sciences and Research (GIDSR) in the field of dental science and oral health education. The Institute of Dental Sciences & Research, Genesis, has been set up with the commitment to provide excellence in education, patient care, research and community service. They value students highly and invest a great deal in their training which is provided by the finest teaching faculty in the country.

Looking Beyond Academic Development
Affiliated to the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, GIDSR is the brainchild of Shri Ratan Lal Singhal, the President of GIDSR, who incepted the institute in the year 2005 at Ferozepur, Punjab, with a sole vision of imparting state of the art dental education. Over the years, the institute has grown exponentially with a 1:5 faculty-student ratio, and it is now a prominently recognized post-graduate institute by the
Dental Council of India, as well as the Ministry of Health and Family Affairs, the Government of India. Accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council, the institute has made an impression in dental education through its plethora of five year BDS

(Bachelor of Dental Surgery) course and three year MDS (Master of Dental Surgery)courses in seven branches, Oral Medicine and Radiology, Prosthodontics, Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, Oral Pathology and Periodontics. Apart from the regular academics, GIDSR also provides patient care at an affordable rate, with a focus directed towards research and community services.

Prof (Dr) Pramod John, Director Principle of GIDSR, has three decades of teaching experience in the top institutes of the country, and is an author of dental textbooks that are recommended in many Indian and foreign universities. Under his supervision, the faculty members are mentoring students to the highest echelons of dental profession. "Each year a buzzing 100+ students are graduating and 16 students are completing the MDS courses. Many of the students in this institute get ranks in the university examinations conducted by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot," says Prof (Dr) Pramod John, Director Principal of GIDSR.

"Today, where the whole world is focused on R&D, GIDSR also has started giving utmost importance in research activities".

Today, where the whole world is focused on R&D, GIDSR also has started giving utmost importance in research activities. The faculty members who themselves are PhD scholars, guide the students to undertake unique research projects. In addition to this, the BDS graduates are offered one year paid internship training programme and the institute also grants internship opportunities to students from other colleges. Meritorious students of the institute are offered cash prizes sponsored by the Raksha Foundation, started in the fond memory of Smt. Raksha Singhal, wife of Shri. Rattan Lal Singhal the President of the society. Through the stupendous academic curriculum and training, many of the students of GIDSR have carved out the professional niche in foreign countries like Canada, The US, Australia and The UK.

Extracurricular Activities and Future Road Map of GIDSR
With a vision to keep the spark alive in the students, the institute is encouraging co-curricular activities. Citing the success of the students in these activities, Shri Rattan Lal Singhal, President, GIDSR, says, "Our students are encouraged in the sporting and cultural activities. The institute organizes sports week and cricketing tournament called Genesis Premier League. They also participate in the cultural and sporting competitions conducted by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences. On many occasions the students have brought laurels to the institute by becoming champions."

GIDSR prides itself of a strong alumni base with students like Dr Hapreet Singh Cheema (2008) and Dr Puneet Dang (2013) working as Captains in the Indian Army (Army Dental Corps). "We are proud of such alumni and by their success stories, we inspire the upcoming dentists of the country," says Prof John. Elucidating the future plans, Shri Rattan Lal Singhal says, "In the coming years, we want to mark our presence globally via international collaborations and faculty exchange programmes with top universities in the world. We also have plans of expanding into quality research by submitting research projects to funding agencies."

Rattan Lal Singhal, President
Rattan Lal Singhal is the leading advocate in Ferozepur and handling tax-related matters. He is also the President of Shaheed Anil Baghi Trust. In his 50 years of successful advocacy, Shri Rattan Lal Singhal had a deep rooted quest for uplifting the society by providing holistic education. His quest was to recognize human and social needs, design novel and sustainable medical facilities. Focused on all endeavors to the same, he embarked on the journey of transforming GIDSR into an excellent centre of dental learning and research. His vision was to set up an institute, where the young budding dentists would receive dental education of the highest quality, comparable to the best anywhere in the world.