‘Complete fraud, we must stop this’: Supreme Court junks Punjab’s NRI quota appeal
The Supreme Court was hearing the Punjab government's appeal challenging a high court order quashing its decision to expand the definition of ‘NRI quota’ for undergraduate medical admissions.
The Supreme Court was hearing appeals challenging the high court's September 10 order quashing the notification issued by the Punjab government on August 20. (Express Archives)
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The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the Punjab government’s appeal challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order quashing its decision to expand the definition of ‘NRI quota’ for undergraduate medical admissions to include relatives of non-resident Indians.
The Supreme Court was hearing appeals challenging the high court’s September 10 order quashing the notification issued by the Punjab government on August 20. The notification expanded the NRI quota to include even distant relatives “such as uncles, aunts, grandparents, and cousins” of NRIs for admissions under the 15 per cent quota for this group in admissions in medical colleges.
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Terming the government move a “complete fraud” and “a money-spinning machine”, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, presiding over a three-judge bench, said, “We must stop this NRI quota business now.”
He added, “This is complete fraud and this is what we are doing to our education system! Judges know what they are dealing with.”
Refusing to intervene, the Supreme Court said the high court had dealt with the case “threadbare…”.
The apex court also sought to draw attention to the harmful consequences of such a quota move and said, “The candidates who have three times higher mark (in NEET UG exams) will lose admission.”
Ananthakrishnan G. is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express. He has been in the field for over 23 years, kicking off his journalism career as a freelancer in the late nineties with bylines in The Hindu. A graduate in law, he practised in the District judiciary in Kerala for about two years before switching to journalism. His first permanent assignment was with The Press Trust of India in Delhi where he was assigned to cover the lower courts and various commissions of inquiry.
He reported from the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court of India during his first stint with The Indian Express in 2005-2006. Currently, in his second stint with The Indian Express, he reports from the Supreme Court and writes on topics related to law and the administration of justice. Legal reporting is his forte though he has extensive experience in political and community reporting too, having spent a decade as Kerala state correspondent, The Times of India and The Telegraph. He is a stickler for facts and has several impactful stories to his credit. ... Read More
