Punjab NEET UG 2024: HC stays revised NRI quota criteria for MBBS, BDS admission

NEW DELHI: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the Punjab government’s revised eligibility criteria for non-resident Indian (NRI) quota for admission into MBBS, BDS courses in the state. The court has posted the next hearing on September 2. In the light of the interim order, the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) said that the Punjab NEET UG provisional result 2024 for candidates with allotment of seats and colleges under NRI category which was prepared already, has been “kept on hold for the time being”.

“After hearing learned counsel for the rival parties, we are of the opinion that a case for interim relief is made out. Accordingly, till the next date of hearing, operation of corrigendum dated August 20 and addendum dated August 22 shall remain stayed, and the process of admission shall be continued in accordance with the schedule as per prospectus MBBS/BDS – 2024,” the interim order read.

“With regard to all the five petitioners, they would also be subjected to same procedure as per time line originally displayed, but their result shall not be declared without leave of the Court,” the court ordered.

The university published the merit list for NRI quota on August 23 and the revised merit list was uploaded a day later after considering the objections submitted by the candidates. The revised merit list was prepared “in the order of preference of degree of relation with NRI” as notified by the Punjab government, “Director Medical Education and Research vide corrigendum no. (e679347)DMER-ME303ME3/9/2024-DMER/787 dated August 20, 2024”.

“The real brother and sister are considered in compliance to writ petition (C) 689/2017in Hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” it informed.

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Punjab MBBS Admission 2024: NRI quota

As per the admission policy, all government and management quota seats in government and private medical and dental colleges in the state will be done based on the marks obtained in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test undergraduate (NEET UG 2024).

The state government, recently, revised the NRI criteria earmarking 15% seats in all private institutes, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot; 13 seats each in Government Medical College, Patiala and Government Medical College Amritsar; 15 seats in Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute of Medical Sciences, Mohali; 3 seats in Government Dental College, Amritsar; and 4 seats in Government Dental College, Patiala for the NRIs.

Category 1 - NRI/ Children of NRI who originally belong to the State of Punjab.

Category 2 - NRI/ Children of NRl who originally belong to an Indian State other than Punjab.

According to the plea, the state government in “an illegal manner changed the rules of game by issuing a corrigendum whereby existing provision for admission under NRI category have been modified permitting even those candidates who are wards or into nearest relations of NRIs”, as per the Times of India report.

“It was also stated that again on August 22, another notification was issued modifying to create NRI quota of 15% in Dr BR Ambedkar State Institute Medical Sciences, Mohali by taking away them from the general seats quota,” it added.