No NEET for NRI seats, asks Telangana Private Medical College Association

Telangana Private Medical College Association (TPMCA) is now seeking relief over matter of NRI admission after Supreme Courts order and following Centre's ordinance on NEET. Even though the medical aspirants in the state are anxious over facing two exams this year, the association has come out in open demanding support for ‘no compulsory entrance rule’ for NRI admissions to continue this year.

For the uninitiated, the NRI seats in the state are allocated to the highest bidder, commanding a price of Rs 11 lakh. There is no academic merit attached to the process. The highest bidder will be allotted the seat at an annual fee of Rs 11 lakh. The fee has been fixed by the state government.

The Telangana Junior Doctors' Association and MCI experts have viewed TPMCMA's take on NRI seats in clear violation of the recent apex court order on NEET.

1,500 MBBS seats are made available to students in 15 private medical colleges in the state. It is further grouped in to 50% (750 seats) 'A' category convenor quota seats through EAMCET. Then, 35% (525 seats) 'B' category (management) seats (likely) to be filled through NEET this year. The balance is 15% 'C' category NRI seats (225), which lacks clarity on admission rules. EAMCET is also applicable for admission in five government medical colleges.

"The 'C' category NRI seats are a different entity altogether as they come under the domain of private managements, without attracting either a state exam like Eamcet or NEET," said C Laxminarsimha Rao, convenor, TPMCMA, the consortium of 15 private medical colleges in Telangana to the press.

While arguing that students, especially those from Gulf countries and the US, who avail of MBBS seats under the NRI quota have a different academic calender, Rao maintained that these seats must be filled up the old way.