No SC, ST, OBC quota for NRIs for NEET

Health Ministry officials say candidates can only opt for one quota category

When Rohit Vinod applied for NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) this year, the online form asked him to select his nationality and the Indian citizen, who is a Kuwaiti resident, selected the “NRI” option. However, on the next page that asked him to select the category, he was only given the option of “general”, although he had expected to be able to opt for Other Backward Classes and avail of the reservation for students from that community. His case, now pending with the Kerala High Court, raises the question of whether NRIs are eligible for community reservation. Senior Health Ministry officials say they are operating on the principle of one candidate being able to opt for only one quota category, even if eligible for multiple categories. “Why should NRIs be denied community-based reservation? Are we not Indian citizens who are guaranteed constitutional rights? Why are we being treated similar to the foreigners category?” asked his father Vinod Karthikeyan in a recent phone interview. As a high-scoring school topper, Rohit hoped to enter one of the country’s best institutions via the OBC quota.