Why did Punjab try to expand NRI quota, and why was its move stalled?

What did the notification say?

The Punjab government’s Department of Medical Education and Research issued a notification connected August 20 allowing vacant NRI-reserved seats to beryllium filled by their relatives successful India aft qualifying NEET. “NRIs oregon their children, who primitively beryllium to Punjab and immoderate Indian authorities oregon Union Territory, are eligible for NRI quota seats. If successful lawsuit the seats of NRIs are near vacant… the ward oregon nearest relations of the NRI shall besides beryllium considered nether the NRI quota seats,” the notification stated.

The notification besides spelt retired who would comprise “nearest relations”. “In the explanation of nearest relation, the pursuing humor relations – (a) existent member and sister of begetter i.e. uncle and aunt (b) existent member and sister of parent i.e. maternal uncle and aunt (c) begetter and parent of begetter i.e. gramps and grandma (d) begetter and parent of parent i.e. maternal gramps and maternal grandma (e) archetypal paternal and maternal cousins– of the campaigner seeking admittance volition beryllium considered,” the notification added.

The notification added that the NRI-quota seats would spell to relatives of NRIs if they remained vacant aft the 2nd circular of counselling. And that if these were inactive not filled aft that, they would beryllium converted to wide class seats.

Do NRIs substance successful Punjab politics?

Punjab has among the country’s largest diasporas abroad. The AAP successful peculiar got a large boost successful the authorities connected the spot of the enactment for it by the Punjabi diaspora, galore of whom flew down to Punjab to run for the enactment successful ample numbers successful the 2017 Assembly elections. The AAP, however, mislaid the elections, winning lone 20 of the 117 seats.

In 2022, erstwhile the AAP contested again and stormed to power, winning 91 seats, it again got the enactment of the NRI community.

Was determination different crushed for the move?

Punjab is location to 4 authorities and 7 backstage aesculapian colleges, and 1 AIIMS. Only the seats successful AIIMS are filled by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC). The authorities besides has 15 dental colleges, of which 7 are private.

All 1,800 aesculapian and 1,260 dental seats are filled done a merit list. Of them, 185 aesculapian and 196 dental seats autumn nether the NRI quota. The fees for a aesculapian spot nether the NRI quota is $1,10,000 (Rs 91.96 lakh) portion for a dental seat, it is $44,000 (Rs 36.78 lakh). For non-NRI quota aesculapian seats, students wage a interest of Rs 1.83 lakh per twelvemonth successful authorities colleges, it varies betwixt Rs 4.26 lakh and Rs 10.94 lakh successful backstage colleges. The interest astatine backstage dental colleges successful Punjab is category-based. The mean tuition interest is betwixt Rs.1,65 lakh and Rs 2,95 lakh depending upon the class and world twelvemonth of study.

As precise fewer NRIs really availed of the quota, astir of the 15% seats successful aesculapian and dental colleges often went vacant and were filled with wide class candidates who paid the aforesaid arsenic regular students. Sources said the thought down the alteration of rules was gross procreation arsenic household members who took up the seats nether the NRI quota would wage overmuch more.

How did the substance scope the Supreme Court?

In August, a radical of wide class students, who were looking to get admittance aft the NRI quota seats were near vacant, moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the AAP government’s notification. The precocious tribunal ruled successful their favour, calling the notification “unjustified” and contrary to the archetypal intent of the NRI quota.

Then, earlier this month, candidates seeking to reap benefits of the expanded ambit of the NRI quota approached the Supreme Court connected the issue. Punjab argued that the broader implementation of the NRI quota was already being done successful states similar Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. HOW?

The apex tribunal rejected Punjab’s arguments, observing that expanding the ambit of the NRI quota “dilutes merit and allows little deserving candidates to summation admittance based connected fiscal powerfulness and connections alternatively than world performance”.

Has determination been a governmental absorption to the Supreme Court ruling?

While the AAP has refused to remark connected the issue, the Opposition has slammed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) person and erstwhile curate Bikram Singh Majithia said the Supreme Court bid has “exposed the caller scam of the government”.

“Attempts were made to merchantability (medical and dental) seats to non-deserving candidates. The enactment which received immense enactment from NRIs is present defrauding them. The AAP authorities promised to unfastened 16 aesculapian colleges, but not adjacent 1 has started since 2022,” helium said.