BE College Admissions Finds No Takers Of NRI Quota

After the EAMCET counselling, finally time for admissions. But admission authorities found that candidates are not interested in taking up NRI Quota seats. But Why? Its all because of the NRI Norms which were tightened up by the State Government of Andhra Pradesh.

The NRI quota in Engineering colleges was once the most sought-after by college managements and students. This year however, it has no takers at all. Candidates awaken by the State Government's tight norms on NRI-quota admissions to check for malpractices like the sale of seats, the managements of engineering colleges are reluctant to offer NRI quota seats this year.

In the previous years, there was a heavy demand for NRI quota seats, especially in the top 50 Engineering colleges. Here the managements used to fill seats as their discretion irrespective of the students securing merit in EAMCET or qualifying exam (Plus2).

This year, less than five colleges have applied to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to seek permission to fill quota seats. The State Government has recently slashed the NRI quota from 15 to 5% of seats. It tightened the rules, stating that only those NRI students whose parents resided abroad should be offered seats. Now, the managements feel that it would be difficult to fill even 5% NRI seats this year.

The 15% NRI seats was part of the 30% Management quota in Engineering colleges. With the government reducing the NRI quota to 5%, the colleges will now have to fill 25% seats under the Management quota for a fee of Rs. 95,000 per annum. For NRI quota seats, the fee prescribed amount is $5,000, which amounts to nearly Rs.3 lakh per annum. The revised norms agree that NRI quota admissions have to be made under the supervision of the AP State Council of Higher Education. The colleges have to display the number of NRI seats offered by them before.