(Image source from: Medical News Today)

The state government of Karnataka is thinking about providing admission to Non-Resident Indians (NRI) students at state government medical colleges from the academic year 2019-20, according to information provided by the state Medical Education Minister D K Shivakumar to the Legislative Council during the ongoing winter session at Belagavi.

He added, "The move to consider NRI quota at government colleges is a major decision."

The students and other stakeholders have thus far begun opposing the state government's proposal.

A senior faculty member from Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute said, "Giving admissions under NRI quota at government colleges will do injustice to meritorious students from the state. This will decrease the number of seats at government colleges made available to general category students."

"The fee charged for NRI quota at private colleges is between Rs 25 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. When this is the case, what is the need to provide them seats at government medical colleges?" another senior professor asked.

Gautham Balaji, a member of Indian Medical Association (Karnataka branch) Junior Doctors' Association, said, "When it comes to the fee hike, it is acceptable as private colleges charge lakhs for undergraduate courses. But introducing NRI quota seats in government colleges is unacceptable. When there are NRI quotas available at private colleges through NEET, what is the need to introduce this quota at government colleges?"

A student doing his postgraduation said, "When you look at the previous years' data, at least 25 percent of the seats under NRI quota go vacant. When this is the case, what is the need to give them quota at government colleges?"

-Sowmya sangam