Maharashtra: Open quota 'Open' to overseas students

Mumbai: Overseas Students who have cleared their higher and senior secondary examination from Maharashtra are to be considered eligible to both 15% institutional quota and 85% state quota for admissions to undergraduate medical courses in private colleges from 2017-18. A decision to this effect has been conveyed by the state government to the Bombay High Court.

The Nagpur bench of the High court on receiving the state's decision disposed of a petition filed by an OCI student, Pallavi Pitale. Her petition had challenged the Maharashtra Government’s curbs placed on admission of OCIs and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) to UG medical courses as “unconstitutional and arbitrary”.

Ms Pitale in her petition contended that though she was eligible to seek admission under the 15% management quota of private colleges; rules 5 and 8 of the Maharashtra Unaided Professional Education Institutions Rules had left OCI, PIO and NRI students ineligible to be considered as "Maharashtra candidates".

Akshay Naik, her counsel called the rules repugnant and contrary to a 2009, notification issued by the centre under the Citizenship Act, which he said entitled overseas students to the all India quota seats.

The State’s Special Counsel, L M Acharya submitting the state’s affidavit said OCI students were eligible to seek admission to 15% all India quota seats after appearing for NEET from 2017-18.

Director,Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Pravin Shingare also informed the HC of the MCI’s decision to consider OCI’s eligible from the year 2017-18.

April 18, 2017, saw the state issue a notification enabling OCI candidates to seek admission in 15% institutional or management quota in private medical colleges.

On April 27, State Counsel Acharya, made a significant announcement in the HC that after April 18, the state government had taken another decision to allow OCI students who has cleared their SSC and HSC or its equivalent exams from the state were to be considered eligible for seats to the remaining 85% in private unaided colleges reports TOI.