The KEA logo
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The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) is proposing for scrapping of NRI ward/sponsor quota in admissions to professional courses.
Following the increase in the number of fake document submission cases to get the seat under NRI ward quota through a sponsor, who is supposed to be a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) and a blood relative of the candidate, the KEA is planning to submit a proposal to the government to scrap the quota.
However, the proposal planned by the KEA exempts the NRI quota, under which children of NRIs are eligible to claim a seat. As explained by the KEA authorities, the percentage of direct NRI quota claims is less compared to the claims under NRI ward quota.
Of the total available seats, 15 per cent of the seats in medical, dental and AYUSH courses have been reserved for the NRI quota. “Even the claim under the quota is not much and every year, the unclaimed seats are being converted to management quota. The fee for management and NRI quota is the same,” said a senior official of the KEA.
The data shared by the KEA reveals that during the 2024-25 academic year, of the 883 seats available for Medical courses under NRI quota, 746 seats were unfilled. This was similar even during 2023-24 and 2022-23 academic years.
According to the KEA authorities, the fraudulent activities to get a seat under the NRI ward quota have increased over the last two years. Last year, over 14 such cases were found and the KEA sent the documents to embassies concerned. This year, during document verification, the KEA has already caught one student with a fake NRI sponsor document and has registered an FIR.
KEA Executive Director Prasanna H said, “It is difficult even for us to check the authenticity of the documents submitted by the students to claim NRI ward quota.”