Bengaluru: The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) rejected 324 applications for the NRI (non-resident Indian) quota in PG NEET admissions this time, more than twice the number it did last year.
As the PG NEET admissions for 2024-25 come to a close, a closer look at the data shows that KEA received 1,090 applications for NRI seats. This was 91 more than last year. While 766 of these were approved, 324 were rejected. At the same time last year, 850 were approved and 149 rejected.
The bigger rejection rate is because of the stringent scrutiny KEA adhered to after a scam in allotting NRI seats was reported from Tamil Nadu. It may be recalled that in TN, a verification by the selection committee at the Directorate of Medical Education found that at least 44 doctors faked their certificates in their applications for PG medical courses.
Candidates applying under the NRI sponsorship must have a real blood relation to the financial supporter. “As per the Supreme Court rulings, it should be up to first-degree relation. But many of the applications that were submitted had only distant relations with the sponsor, resulting in their rejection. We also wrote to various embassies asking about the genuineness of the certificates, but we are yet to receive any reply from them,” said H Prasanna, KEA executive director.
“When the news about our stringent scrutiny came out, many candidates approached us and asked us to consider their applications under the general category,” he added.
The number of seats allotted to the NRI quota has also fallen drastically this year. Only 87 seats were finally allotted, while 344 vacant seats were converted to management. Last year, on the other hand, 394 seats were allotted under the reserved category for NRIs, and only 254 were converted to management.
“We are unable to understand why only fewer students took up NRI seats this year. Students try through various states and the All India quota. They might have got better seats elsewhere,” said Prasanna.
Meanwhile, KEA also plans to propose to the govt to make changes to the NRI category regulations. “We will propose that fees should be taken in dollars. Now, the fees are transferred from the student account. We do not know whether it is truly sponsored by any NRI. They could have come from anybody and not necessarily from the sponsor,” he added.
Currently, the option entry for the special stray vacancy is underway for PG NEET.
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BOX 1:
How they changed
Year— NRI applied—- verified—rejected
2023— 999—850—149
2024—1090— 766— 324
BOX 2:
Reservation and allotment
Year—Total reserved seats—allotted— remaining
2023—648— 394— 254 (converted to management)
2024—431—87—344