New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the widening of the definition of the NRI quota is a fraud and it would be a money-spinning machine, and "it must come to an end now" while declining to entertain the Punjab government’s appeal challenging a High Court verdict.
The High Court had quashed the state government’s decision to expand the definition of NRI quota for admissions in undergraduate medical and dental courses. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said, "This fraud must come to an end now".
The bench said that the NRI quota is “nothing but a money-spinning machine” and the distant relatives – mama, tai, taya – who are settled abroad will get admissions ahead of meritorious candidates. The apex court made it clear that it will not allow this.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 10, had trashed the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government’s August 20 move extending the ambit of the NRI quota to include distant relatives "such as uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins" of NRIs for admissions under the 15% quota for this group in admissions in medical colleges.
The apex court said it will dismiss the petition, as the NRI business (regarding the quota) is nothing but fraud. "Look at the deleterious consequences... the candidates who have three times higher marks will lose admission (in NEET-UG courses)”, said the bench.
The apex court said: “We will put an end to all this.... now the so-called precedents must give way to the primacy of law". The counsel, representing the Punjab government, contended that Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were following a broad definition for NRI quota admissions. The apex court said that the High Court verdict was "absolutely right", and told the state's counsel, “You are saying the nearest relation of NRI will also be considered. What is this?”
Emphasising that expanding the definition of NRI quota is a fraud, the bench expressed its concern on the education system. "This is what we are doing to our education system," the CJI said. "Look at the result. Those who got marks three times high won't get admission," said the bench.
