Assam: No NRI quota in government medical colleges from next year

Digital Desk: The controversial NRI quota for MBBS courses in Assam's state-run medical colleges is set to be discontinued from the next academic year.

23 NRI-sponsored candidates have already secured admission this year. According to information provided by the State Directorate of Medical Education (DME), no more NRI quota seats will be alloted in the state from the upcoming academic year, by a recent Supreme Court decision.

These seats were originally designated for the economically weaker sections, however, they were later transferred to the NRI quota. This year, 23 NRI-sponsored candidates were accepted because the admissions process was already in an advanced stage and didn't violate the Supreme Court order.

Notably, NRI-sponsored candidates have filled seven seats each at Gauhati Medical College (GMC) and Assam Medical College (AMC), Dibrugarh. NRI-sponsored candidates have secured admission into several medical colleges, including Tezpur Medical College (TMC), Nalbari Medical College, Silchar Medical College, and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College in Barpeta. These candidates are sponsored by Assam-origin NRIs and their relatives.

It's important to note, however, that seven of the 30 candidates who were provisionally selected under the NRI/NRI sponsored quota did not accept their final admission offers, primarily due to the high fees associated with this category. 

Students who are eligible for the NRI/NRI sponsored quota must pay an annual fee of about Rs 21 lakh in the first year and USD 22,500 (roughly Rs 18.5 lakh) in the subsequent four years. Regular MBBS students. In contrast, regular MBBS students pay significantly lower fees, around Rs 30,000 in the first year and between Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 in the next four years.