NRI quota plan in govt medical colleges opposed

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) has come out in opposition to the suggestion that there should be a NonResident Indian (NRI) quota in government medical colleges.

AIDSO State Secretary Ajay Kamath issued a statement responding to the Directorate of Medical education seeking an approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC) for the establishment of the NRI quota in statefunded medical colleges.

He claimed that such a move would send the fees skyrocketing since NRIs would be able to afford it.

“This act will open the floodgates of privatization in government medical colleges and hence AIDSO opposes this move vehemently. In 2018, the proposal to introduce NRI quota was opposed successfully by the medical students of Karnataka. Presently in government medical colleges annual fees have mounted up to Rs 80,000, which in itself is a fee the poor cannot afford. Further introduction of NRI quota will lend a green signal to further increase fees in these colleges and curtail seats to poor meritorious students of the state,” Kamath said.

“Medical education will lose its democratic character if the poor are not able to pursue medical education. On the other hand will not create able doctors and the whole health care of the country will be affected. The State government says it doesn’t have money to run the institution! This way is preparing the field for further increase of fees and soon none of the poor students would become doctors in Karnataka,” he added.