Srinagar, Apr 30: Professor, Dr Riyaz Farooq Principal and Dean Government Dental College Srinagar Tuesday got a warm send-off on his superannuation.
He joined as Principal of the College almost 20 years back. Dr Riyaz’s services of 20 years to the College have made every student emotional on his last day at the college premises.
He joined on September 16, 2004 and his tenure as Principal came to an end today on April 30, 2024.
During the last 20 years, he has done tremendous work. He has ensured the recognition of BDS degree course in 2005 (which was otherwise pending from 1996). During his tenure, the intake capacity of BDS has been increased from 20 to 50 seats in 2006.
He also ensured the start of post-graduation course in the specialties of Oral & Maxilloficial Surgery & Conservations Conservative & Endodontics in 2007 and subsequently in Prothodiontics, Orthodontics, Periodontics and Oral Medicine & Radiology in 2010. He also ensured that increase in the intake capacity from 2 to 3 in these specialties in 2019.
The MDS course in Oral Patholody and Pedodontics was started in 2020 while the dental hygienist courses and subsequent recognition was also done during his by him in 2019.
The other decision like creation of missing cadres in Dental & Medical Faculty, Gazetted & Non-Gazetted and posts of Registrars and House Surgeons was also taken during his tenure.
Besides these decisions, he also ensured the construction of multilevel parking facility within the premises, which has never been witnessed in any of the institutions so far.
Separate hostels for boys and girls are among the other decisions and achievements that have been done during his tenure.