MBBS, BDS admissions: After HC stay, BFUHS puts result of NRI seats on hold
The BFUHS in a notice on Thursday said, “In the light of interim orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court vide which corrigendum dated August 20 and addendum dated August 22 has been stayed, the provisional result of candidates with allotment of seats and colleges under NRI category NEET UG-2024 had been prepared but kept on hold for the time being”
After Punjab and Haryana high court stayed the decision of the Punjab government changing the admission criteria in MBBS and BDS courses under the non-resident Indians (NRI) quota, the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUSH) put provisional result for NRI seats on hold.
The BFUHS in a notice on Thursday said, “In the light of interim orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court vide which corrigendum dated August 20 and addendum dated August 22 has been stayed, the provisional result of candidates with allotment of seats and colleges under NRI category NEET UG-2024 had been prepared but kept on hold for the time being. The next date of hearing is fixed for September 2.”
On August 20, the BFUHS modified provisions for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses under the NRI quota allowing the nearest relatives of an NRI to be considered under the quota following an order issued by the department of medical education and research (DMER).
As per the modified provisions, if the seats of NRIs are left vacant after considering the real NRIs, the candidates who are the ward or nearest relation of NRI shall also be considered under NRI quota seats.
The petitioner has claimed that after the submission of forms, the state government in an illegal manner changed the rules by issuing a corrigendum whereby existing provisions for admission under NRI category have been modified permitting even those candidates who are wards or into nearest relations of NRIs.
BFUHS has released the provisional allotment list of the candidates for admission to MBBS and BDS courses but the result for NRI seats has been put on hold. Earlier this week BFUHS released the provisional merit list of 66 candidates who are “real NRIs” for admissions under MBBS and BDS courses under the NRI quota. While BFUHS also released a separate provisional list of 54 candidates, who are Indian citizens but sponsored by NRI relative to the quota.
All medical and dental colleges in Punjab offer about 185 NRI quota seats in MBBS and 196 seats in BDS. However, a large chunk of these seats remains vacant every year in the absence of eligible candidates. The fee for an MBBS seat is $1,10,000 at government and private medical colleges and a BDS seat costs $ 44,000. In Punjab, 15% of the total seats are earmarked for NRI candidates in private and government institutes.
