Medical student loses seat over NRI quota ineligibility

Medical student loses seat over NRI quota ineligibility 

K.Kaushik@timesofindia.com  17.10.2024

Madurai : The selection committee of the directorate of medical education and  Research withdrew the medical admission and NRI candidature of H Madhav Krishna following a Madras high court order. The court ruled that Krishna did not q ualify under the NRI quota as he is not a blood relative of his sponsor. Krishna, represented by his father, applied under the NRI quota with a certificate stating that his uncle, Ramesh Govindan Nair, would support him. However, the authorities required the relationship to be shown as uncle of the student, causing a delay in obtaining a corrected certificate and resulting in Krishna’s initial denial of admission. Krishna challenged the order in court, and a single bench granted him relief, allowing his admission to Sree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences. 

The director of medical admission later challenged this order. During the hearing, it was argued that the NRI applicant must be related to the sponsor within the first degree. The prospectus specifies that NRI quota seats are for bona fide NRIs and their children or wards, including specific blood relatives. Krishna, being a son of the NRI sponsor’s wife’s cousin, did not qualify. A division bench of justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri upheld the rejection of Krishna’s candidature, stating that his disqualification was fundamental. Krishna’s seat was denied under the NRI quota, but he may apply under other available quotas. The error was caught early, preventing a longer disruption in his medical education.