Only 37 Out of 372 NRI Seats Filled for Postgraduate Medical Courses in Karnataka

As many as 335 seats meant for Non-Resident Indian (NRI) postgraduate medical students in Karnataka were converted to “others” category even as the merit-based PG NEET students demand that they should be converted to government quota. This is the second time that NRI quota seats were transferred over to the “others” category, which is the management quota, according to the Times of India.

Out of the 372 NRI seats, only 37 were filled and the rest were given to the management quota by the medical education department. The management quota seats can be purchased by paying donation to the private college/university to get admission.

Meanwhile, merit students accused the government of continuing to reserve 15 per cent seats for NRI students when the demand is negligible. In total, 2275 seats are there in Karnataka for PG NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test).

The transfer of the seats was done during the third round of PG medical/dental counselling that began on May 16.

Only five NRI candidates took admission for PG dental while the remaining 124 seats for NRI candidates were converted to “others” category, Dr S Sachidananda, director of medical education, told TOI.

“For PG medical, only 32 seats were filled. The remaining 211 seats which were vacant were converted to ‘other’ category,” he said.

“We have converted the NRI seats into ‘other’ category without disturbing government and private quota seats. The 15 per cent seats reserved for NRI and 10 per cent kept aside for ‘others’ still remain a total 25 per cent,” said V Manjula, principal secretary, medical education.

“In Karnataka, we have the consensual agreement between private and government colleges. As per this agreement, 75 per cent seats are given at subsidized rates. The fee ranges from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7.5 lakh, depending on whether the seat is clinical, pre-clinical or para-clinical. Nowhere in India, 75% of seats at an institution are offered at this rate,” Sachidananda told the News Minute.

“The students are the beneficiary here,” the DME further said. “Of the 25 per cent seats which are remaining, as per the stipulation, 15 per cent is for NRI quota and 10 per cent is other seats. Now if the college has to give the subsidized fee for 75 per cent seats, it has to charge a bit higher in NRI and other quota seats.”

He further explained that in Deemed Universities 85 per cent seats are management seats and 15 per cent are NRI. The management seats cost between Rs 18 lakh and Rs 25 lakh a year, “whereas our seats are between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 7.5 lakh. So this is the benefit students are getting,” he added.

“But students are demanding NRI seats be converted to general merit seats. This is not possible. These are all high fee seats and they are meant to be high fee seats so that they cover the cost of the subsidized 75 per cent seats,” he said.