New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday instructed that the NRI seats in self-financing medical colleges in Kerala should be left vacant or transferred for other quotas.

The SC also ruled that vacant seats in the NRI quota in the state’s self-financing medical colleges can be allocated to students from other states also. However, norms relating to NRI students should be strictly followed, the apex court clarified. 15 percent of the seats are reserved for NRI students in a self-financing medical college. Out of the balance 85 percent, 15 percent can be filled with students from other states, SC had said the previous year.  

SC was considering the petition filed by Kerala Private Medical College Management Association contending that many seats in the 15 percent NRI quota remained unfilled due to lack of applicants from the state.

The lawyer who appeared for the students informed that the state government has relaxed the norm of bank guarantee for admissions in self-financing colleges.

However, the bench including Chief Justice SA Bobde said that the petitions regarding bank guarantee are under consideration of the SC and if the final verdict is in favour of the managements, bank guarantee will have to be provided.

SC also decided to consider the petitions challenging the prospectus, on October 3. The management association informed their willingness to proceed the hearing via video conferencing.

Advocate Jaydeep Gupta and standing counsel G Prakash appeared for the state government while senior lawyer Shyam Diwan and Sulfikar Ali appeared for managements. Advocate Ramesh Babu appeared for the students.