Supreme Court strikes down Punjab's expanded NRI quota in medical admissions

The Supreme Court upheld a high court ruling that nullified Punjab's decision to extend the NRI quota in medical admissions to distant relatives. The Court deemed the expansion a 'complete fraud' and emphasized protecting merit in the education system.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a high court order that nullified the Punjab government's decision to broaden the 'NRI quota' in undergraduate medical admissions to include distant relatives. The Court labeled this expansion as a 'complete fraud' that needed to be halted.

'This is nothing but a money spinning machine,' stated Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, rejecting the Punjab government's appeal against the Punjab and Haryana High Court's verdict.

The ruling puts an end to the AAP-led government's August 20 notification, which widened the NRI quota to encompass relatives such as uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins under the 15 percent NRI quota for medical courses.

'We will dismiss all the petitions. This NRI business is nothing but a fraud. We will put an end to all this,' remarked the bench, highlighting the overhaul of the education system.

The top court pointed out that admissions for distant relatives abroad would surpass meritorious candidates, which is unacceptable.

'This is completely a fraud. And this is what we are doing with our education system!...We will affirm the high court judgement. We must stop this NRI quota business now,' emphasized the CJI.

The Court underscored the adverse consequences of the policy, where candidates with significantly higher marks could lose their admission chances in NEET-UG courses. Senior advocate Shadan Farasat, representing Punjab, argued that states have the authority to decide on the 15 percent NRI quota allocation within their domains.

The High Court's detailed judgment indicated that the decision to broaden the NRI quota was intended to divert seats from general category applicants, and stressed that education should not be treated as an economic activity.

'Doctrine of merit and fairness cannot be sacrificed solely because financially strong students fall within the expanded definition of NRI,' said the high court's judgment.

The Punjab High Court emphasized that capitation fees are prohibited, and expanding the NRI category would undermine this prohibition by allowing colleges to exploit the system.

The expansion of the NRI definition was criticized as unjustified, undermining the original intent of the quota to benefit genuine NRIs and their children. The broader definition opens the door for potential misuse, allowing non-genuine NRIs to take advantage of these seats, sidelining more deserving candidates.

(With inputs from agencies.)