HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Sept 17: The contentious NRI quota for MBBS courses in state-run medical colleges in the state is set to be discontinued starting from the next academic year. This decision comes as 23 NRI-sponsored candidates have already secured admission for the current year. State Directorate of Medical Education (DME) sources have confirmed that, in accordance with a recent Supreme Court ruling, no further NRI quota seats will be allocated in the state from the upcoming academic year.
Originally designated for economically weaker sections, these seats were subsequently diverted to the NRI quota. The admission of 23 NRI-sponsored candidates this year was permitted because the admission process was already at an advanced stage and did not contravene the Supreme Court order.
Notably, seven seats each in Gauhati Medical College (GMC) and Assam Medical College (AMC), Dibrugarh, have been filled by NRI-sponsored candidates. Furthermore, NRI-sponsored candidates have gained admission to other medical colleges, including Jorhat Medical College, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College in Barpeta, Nalbari Medical College, Silchar Medical College, and Tezpur Medical College (TMC). These candidates are sponsored by their relatives and Assam-origin NRIs.
However, it’s worth mentioning that although 30 candidates were provisionally selected under the NRI/NRI sponsored quota, seven candidates did not take up their final admission offers, primarily due to the high fees associated with this category. Under the NRI/NRI sponsored quota, students are required to pay an annual fee of USD 25,000 (approximately Rs 21 lakh) in the first year and USD 22,500 (approximately Rs 18.5 lakh) in the subsequent four years. In contrast, regular MBBS students pay significantly lower fees, approximately Rs 30,000 in the first year and between Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 in the following four years.
