Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Friday stayed the implementation of the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota for MBBS admissions in Assam.
A bench of Justices Rabindra Bhat and Arvind Kumar passed the order while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Adiz Zaman, who raised concerns over the reservation of medical seats for NRIs at a cost of Rs 18 lakh per seat.
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The Assam government had announced a 10 percent reservation of seats in MBBS courses for NRI students in medical colleges across the state. These seats were to be allocated from the remaining seats after deducting the 15 percent all-India quota, central pool, North Eastern Council quota, and the Royal Government of Bhutan quota.
The PIL argued that the NRI quota would deprive local students of the opportunity to study medicine and that it was unfair to charge such a high fee for the seats.
The Supreme Court has now stayed the implementation of the NRI quota until the PIL is decided. The court has also asked the Assam government to file a detailed response to the PIL.
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The NRI quota has been a controversial issue in Assam. Some people have argued that it is a way to attract foreign investment and that it will help to improve the quality of medical education in the state. Others have argued that it is unfair to local students and that it will only benefit the wealthy.
The Supreme Court’s decision to stay the implementation of the NRI quota is a setback for the Assam government.