Yesterday, Tuesday, September 24, the Supreme Court of India criticised Punab's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for expanding the eligibility criteria for availing 15% NRI (Non Resident of India) quota in admissions to state-run and private medical and dental colleges. This was stated in an exclusive report of The Times of India.
This move was made to include 'wards' of NRIs and termed this a "fraud on education system to mint money".
The bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, castigated the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government for devising a "money spinning" mechanism.
Additionally, the bench also took an exception to the last-minute expansion of criteria for NRI quota after the last day of submission of applications to include any near relative or ward or NRIs for admission to medical colleges.
"Look at the expressions — 'nearest relatives' and 'wards' of NRIs. Anyone can be a nearest relative, even a third cousin. And what did the govt mean by the word of an NRI? Any and everyone can be termed a ward of an NRI, and the proof is just an affidavit by the person residing abroad," the bench said.
Following this, the apex court said, "These are all backdrop entries, and this is nothing but a money-spinning device for the govt. It must stop," dismissing the Punjab government's appeal against the high court's September 10 order, quashing the new criteria.
Furthermore, senior advocate Abhimanyu Bhandari, appearing for the general category students who are to avail the vacant NRI quota seat, said, "In Punjab, it is not difficult to find an NRI." He also mentioned that a general category student with 630 out of 700 marks would not get a seat however, an NRI ward with a mere 200 marks could get admitted. This was stated in an exclusive report by The Times of India.
Following this, Additional Advocate General Shadan Farasat for Punjab, argued that the AAP government had followed the same process that was being implemented for NRI quota admissions by Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and the Union government.
CJI DY Chandrachud said, "Let us put a lid on this whole fraud in the name of NRI quota seats. This expanded meaning of NRI quota is nothing but a fraud on the medical education system."
In addition to this, he said, "General category candidates having three times the marks of an NRI ward will lose out because of this. This court should not lend its authority to this patent fraud."
