KARNATAKA WRITES TO CENTRE SEEKING NRI QUOTA IN GOVT MEDICAL COLLEGES

•  State wants 15% NRI quota in govt medical colleges
• Urges Centre to sanction 508 supernumerary MBBS seats
• Tweaking existing annual intake of seats not feasible

Bengaluru, June 27: Seeking to start NRI quota in medical colleges, Karnataka government has requested the Centre to sanction supernumerary MBBS seats in government autonomous medical colleges under the Department of Medial Education from the academic year 2025-26 onwards.

Medical Education Minister Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil has written to the Chairman of the National Medical Commission (NMC) requesting sanction of 15% NRI quota by creating 508 additional supernumerary MBBS seats for admissions in 22 government medical colleges in the state. Supernumerary is nothing but creating additional seats over and above the annual sanctioned intake of UG-MBBS seats within the government medical colleges.

Justifying the proposal to have NRI quota in government medical colleges, Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil cited UGC guidelines for admission and supernumerary seats of international students in UG and PG programmes and National Education Policy 2020 that emphasized the intake of international students in Indian higher educational institutions for global outreach.

The minister also cited the example of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Puducherry that provide 7-15% quota for NRI students in government medical colleges charging over $75,000 to $100,000 for five-year course whereas in Karnataka only private medical colleges are allowed to take NRI students who pay Rs. 1 crore to 2.5 crore.

It may be noted that government veterinary, agriculture and horticulture universities in Karnataka have 15% NRI quota and these are above the sanctioned intake and higher fees collected help these universities provide better facilities and quality education.

The medical education minister further added that the autonomous medical institutions in the state face shortage of funds despite budgetary allocation, fees from students, central and state grants and other donations. He contended that in order to make these institutions centre of excellence, additional funds are necessary for quality education, training, maintenance, purchase of medical equipment, drugs, handling patient load, improving infrastructure, faculty strength and research.

“Creating NRI quota within the available annual intake of seats is not feasible and expressed apprehension that disturbing the existing intake will create lesser seats for the poor and underprivileged, also triggering protests from students and parents” Dr Patil maintained.

The minister has proposed that an annual fee of Rs. 25 lakh per student can be fixed which would generate Rs 127 crore for the medical education department for the first year and Rs 571.5 crore from the fifth year onwards. “I am confident that the Centre would accede to State’s demand to sanction 15% NRI quota by creating supernumerary MBBS seats and enable the state to start NRI quota in government medical colleges from the academic year 2025-26.”

There are 22 government medical colleges under the Department of Medical Education having intake capacity of 3,450 seats for the year 2023-24 out of which 85% (2929 seats) was Karnataka quota and 521 ie 15% was of All India Quota.