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

The controversial NRI quota for MBBS courses in Assam's state-run medical colleges is set to be discontinued from the next academic year. This decision comes as 23 NRI-sponsored candidates have already secured admission this year. The State Directorate of Medical Education (DME) sources have confirmed that, as per a recent Supreme Court ruling, there will be no further NRI quota seats allocated in the state from the upcoming academic year.

Originally, these seats were earmarked for economically weaker sections but were subsequently diverted to the NRI quota. The enrollment of 23 NRI-sponsored candidates this year was allowed since the admission process was already in an advanced stage and did not violate the Supreme Court order.

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

However, it's worth mentioning that 30 candidates were provisionally selected under the NRI/NRI sponsored quota, but seven candidates did not take up their final admission offers, primarily due to the high fees associated with this category. Under the NRI/NRI sponsored quota, students are required to pay an annual fee of USD 25,000 (approximately Rs 21 lakh) in the first year and USD 22,500 (approximately Rs 18.5 lakh) in the subsequent four years. 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 following four years.