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Government officials have defended the policy, stating that similar systems exist in states like Gujarat and Rajasthan
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They argue that the funds will help improve infrastructure, facilities and student welfare, and that an increase in overall seat numbers will ensure general category students are not disadvantaged
A major political and ethical debate has erupted in Karnataka following the state government’s decision to allow MBBS admissions under the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota in government medical colleges. Critics argue that the move has effectively turned affordable public medical seats into high-priced options, pushing meritorious students out of reach.
During NEET-2025 counselling, 57 MBBS seats in government medical colleges were set aside for the NRI category. However, only 18 eligible NRI candidates opted for these seats. The remaining 39 were later allotted to non-NRI students who were willing to pay the much higher NRI fee of ₹25 lakh per year.
Traditionally, government medical colleges are known for offering low-cost education. A regular government MBBS seat in Karnataka costs around ₹64,350 annually. In contrast, an NRI quota seat is priced at ₹25 lakh per year, though this is still lower than NRI seats in private medical colleges, which can cost up to ₹45 lakh annually.
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The policy, announced in September 2025, reserves 15 per cent of seats in government medical colleges for NRIs
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Until now, such quotas were limited to private institutions. The government says the aim is to make public medical colleges financially self-reliant and less dependent on state funding
The timing of the decision has added to the controversy. Since the seat matrix for the first counselling round was already finalised, the NRI quota applied only to 252 newly created seats across 10 government colleges, with 57 marked for NRIs.
The issue was raised in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly by BJP MLA Y Bharath Shetty, who alleged that government medical seats are being “sold” at premium rates for the first time in India. He also questioned the alleged diversion of funds from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) to establish new medical colleges.
