Deemed universities scrapping NRI quota for medical seats | India News – Times of India

With the Supreme Court directing the Medical Counselling Committee to conduct admission rounds for all deemed university seats online, half a dozen institutes have scrapped the NRI quota and moved them to the open category while some others have reduced seats in this category. Educationists, parents of doctor aspirants interpreted it as a sign that the business of medical education is becoming more transparent.

Till last year, the MCC conducted three rounds of admission for deemed universities and the vacant seats were handed back to the institutes to be filled at their level in the stray vacancy round (the final round). “This is when a lot of the unfilled NRI seats were sold to students at a higher rate,” said parent representative Brijesh Sutaria.
In a circular on Monday, the National Medical Commission said “no college should conduct counselling, including stray vacancy round, in physical mode”. Since the SC ruling and the NMC circulation, deemed universities like SRM Medical College, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhaarath Medical College and Hospital have scrapped the NRI quota. Several have reduced seats in the category in the final seat matrix.

A health ministry official said with 100% seats to be filled through centralised counselling, there is no incentive for any college to block seats. “Colleges are also worried there may not be too many takers in the NRI category and hence have converted all seats to open quota,” he added.