Delhi HC directs Centre to include Student in waiting list as NRI

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to include a student, seeking admission to MBBS course through NEET as an NRI candidate though he appeared for the entrance exam as a resident candidate, in the waiting list for deemed universities. Justice Vibhu Bakhru said that this would enable the student to approach the deemed universities directly and his counsel said this was acceptable to him. The high court passed the direction after central government standing counsel Jasmeet Singh informed that all unfilled seats have been released to the deemed universities. The only assistance that can be granted to the student is that his name can be included in the waiting list as an NRI candidate for onward transmission to deemed universities.

The court was hearing the student's petition, filed through advocate Pradeep Kumar Arya, seeking direction to the Centre to consider and admit him as an NRI candidate for the admission in MBBS in pursuance to National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) conducted for the year 2017-18 in the central list for deemed universities.

The student, who completed his class 12th last year from Saudi Arabia, said his father was a resident of Madhya Pradesh and his mother is a non-resident Indian as she had spent more than 180 days in the last financial year in Saudi Arabia. He had applied under the NEET as a resident candidate and not as an NRI and could not be considered in the NRI category.

However, the Centre had issued a notification on July 21, informing all NRI candidates who had registered under UR/Indian category at the time of registration for undergraduate MBBS/BDS seats and were eligible to be considered under NRI quota, to send their relevant documents supporting their status by July 25, for being considered under the NRI category, the plea said.

The student did not send any of the application or documents following the notification but claimed that he had made the request prior to July 21 and even after July 25, which should have been considered.