Supreme Court Rejects Punjab’s NRI Quota Fraud

The Supreme Court on Tuesday harshly criticized the Punjab government’s notification that expanded the NRI quota for admissions to medical colleges, calling it merely a “money-making device” by the state.

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, alongside Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, dismissed the AAP government’s plea challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s verdict. The High Court had quashed the Punjab government’s August 20 notification, which included distant relatives such as uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins in the NRI quota for MBBS admissions.

Upon hearing the arguments from Punjab’s counsel, Chief Justice Chandrachud remarked, “We must stop this NRI quota business now. There is a complete fraud. This is what we are doing to our education system.”

NRIs, who were also involved in the case, argued through their counsel that they would lose a year due to the state’s false promises.

The Chief Justice further added, “Let’s put a lid on this. This fraud must come to an end. These are all interim orders. This NRI business is nothing but a fraud. And just look at what the state has done.”

Terming the High Court’s judgment as “absolutely right,” the bench stated, “Look at the consequences. Candidates with three times higher marks will lose their admission in NEET-UG courses.”

Earlier on September 10, the High Court had struck down the Punjab government’s NRI quota notification. The government then appealed to the Supreme Court, which upheld the High Court’s decision.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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