"NRI Quota Fraud Must Come To End," Says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the "NRI quota business" must stop and dismissed petitions challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that had quashed a Punjab government notification amending conditions for Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota admissions in the State's medical colleges.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra termed the amended conditions by the government as 'fraud'.

"We must stop this NRI quota business now. This is complete fraud, we have to put an end to the fraud. This is what we are doing to our education system. Judges know what they are dealing with. The High Court order is absolutely right," said. the apex court.

The top court was hearing three petitions against Punjab and Haryana High Court order of September 11, whereby it had quashed the August 20 notification of the Punjab government, which had widened the definition of 'NRI' candidates to include relatives of NRIs.

The High Court had quashed the notification, amending conditions for NRI quota admissions for MBBS courses in the state's medical colleges, on the ground that the broadening of the definition was 'arguably unjustified'.

After hearing arguments in the case, the apex court said, “All three petitions dismissed. Let us put a lid on this. This fraud has come to an end. This NRI business is nothing but a fraud. This comes to an end now.”

(ANI)