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Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) that allocates postgraduate seats in various medical specialties has released a list of 811 candidates who have chosen to “change their nationality” from Indian to non-resident Indian (NRI) to get seats in the third round in 2025-26.Seats in NRI quota are the most expensive but that also means competition is less, with cut-offs lower than even for management quota. In effect, therefore, conversion to NRI gives those with low scores in National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Postgraduate) but deep pockets a shot at getting seats in high demand clinical disciplines.The 811 candidates found to be eligible for conversion to NRI quota include two categories – those who actually are NRIs or children of NRIs and a second category of those who can show themselves to be wards of first degree or second degree relatives who are NRIs. There are 113 candidates in the first group and 698 in the second group. The lowest score among non-resident Indians in the first category is 82 out of 800, or just over 10%, while it is 28 (3.5%) in the second category.In the first category, 75 (66%) candidates scored less than 215, which means their rank is below 1.5 lakh. Over 60% (422) of 698 candidates in the second category of non-resident Indian are below 1.5 lakh rank. But with deep pockets, these candidates can afford the NRI quota fees for any specialty.Annual fees for NRI quota PG seats in a clinical specialty could be as high as Rs 45 lakh to Rs 95 lakh per year, depending on the specialty, state and on whether the medical college is a deemed university. If courts and the govt did not allow conversion of Indians to NRIs, many of the NRI quota seats would remain unfilled and would have to be converted into management seats where the fees would be much less.However, with even courts accepting the argument that private medical colleges cannot afford any financial loss, definition of NRIs has been expanded to allow candidates who don’t have NRI parents or siblings to show themselves as a ward of near relatives, including NRI uncles, aunts or grandparents, who can sponsor them.
