With the gradual increase in the number of footfalls of students from all around the globe, India has carved a separate niche in the education segment and has slowly turned into a hub. In the past, India has given the world some of the oldest universities such as Nalanda or Taxila. With time, the education system, the research capabilities, and the number of universities have grown with open arms welcoming people from all geographies to learn and innovate. India has over 900+ universities and 40,000+ colleges nationwide. The Government of India (Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs) has some seats reserved under the NRI Quota for NRI students and foreign nationals to attract more students.
Also Read: Admission Process in CBSE Schools for NRIs Moving to India
What is NRI Quota?
NRI Quota refers to the reservation of seats that is allotted to Non-Resident Indians by the institutes and universities of India. Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Foreign Nationals are also eligible for admissions under the NRI Quota.
This reservation of seats under the NRI Quota is available in all major branches of Engineering, Medical, Law, Management and other courses. The sentiment of NRI Students wanting to return and study in their own country is valued and many private institutes provide the NRI Quota for deserving candidates.
NRI Quota Eligibility
As per the guidelines set by the Supreme Court of India, here is the NRI quota eligibility criteria:
- One of the parents must be an NRI residing abroad
- The person sponsoring the education must be an NRI residing outside India and a first-degree relation with the student
- In case of no parents/relatives, the guardian must be an NRI residing abroad and must treat the student like a ward backed up by an affidavit showing interest in the affairs and relationship with the student.
- Nearest Relative can be defined as the real brother/sister of the parents, maternal or paternal grandparents, or first degree maternal and paternal cousins.
Academic Eligibility
For Medical
- To be considered for admission, the student must meet the eligibility criteria, which includes qualifying for the NEET exam conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
- Once the student has qualified for the NEET exam, they must register for counseling with the Karnataka Examinations Authority.
- Admission offers will be based on merit, which is determined by the NEET score obtained by the aspirants.
NRI Quota Eligibility for B tech/ Engineering
- Students interested in NRI admission for engineering and technology courses in Karnataka colleges must clear the respective entrance exam.
- Colleges recognized by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) reserve a maximum of 5% of seats in each course for the NRI quota.
These were certain guidelines, let’s now look at the academic eligibility requirements for NRI Quota in the next few segments.
NRI Medical College Quota
MBBS is one of the most sought after courses in India and students from all over the world try to get admission in the prestigious institutions in India using the NRI Medical College Quota. The admissions are governed by The MCI (Medical Council of India) and the basis of admission is the NEET exam which every candidate must clear in order to secure admissions.
Apart from the 15% All India Quota (AIQ) and 85% State Quota, universities in India offer a 15% NRI Medical College Quota reserved by the MCI for NRIs, PIOs and OCIs. However, the candidates need to clear the NEET exam to secure admission in these universities.
Government Medical Colleges with NRI Quota
The NRI quota is available only in government medical colleges of some states, namely Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Pondicherry. This quota is open to both Indian-origin citizens of India and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI).
Medical Colleges with NRI Quota in Kerala
Private medical colleges in Kerala, offering courses such as MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BSMS, BHMS, and BUMS, have an NRI quota. In Kerala, there are approximately 250 NRI MBBS seats available. After the NEET-UG exam, applicants can apply for NRI seats through state counseling. However, NRI quota seats are not available in government medical colleges in Kerala.
Medical Colleges with NRI Quota in Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu, government medical colleges do not offer an NRI quota. Nonetheless, certain private medical colleges, including CMC Vellore, have NRI quota seats available. In Tamil Nadu, there are approximately 240 MBBS seats available under the NRI quota system.
Medical Colleges with NRI Quota in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
Only private medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana offer NRI quota seats. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, there are nearly 600 NRI MBBS seats available. NEET-UG is the qualifying exam that candidates must pass to be eligible for admission under the NRI quota.
Admission in a Government/ Private Medical College under NRI Quota
Given below are the steps for an NRI student to get admission in a medical college under NRI quota in India:
- Apply for NEET-UG exam at NTA NEET website.
- Clear the cut off for NEET exam.
- Register and attend the state counselling where you want to take admission in a government/ private medical college under NRI quota.
- Each state has a separate counselling process for admission in NRI quota.
What is NRI Quota in Engineering Colleges
NRI Quota is available in both government and private engineering colleges in India. In private universities, generally NRIs end up paying extra for the seat under the NRI Quota. The government colleges however have some strict schemes that provide reservation for NRI students such as DASA and its subset CIWG scheme. (These schemes allow NRI/PIO/OCI & foreign nationals to take admissions in renowned Technical Institutes of India including NITs, IIITs, CFIs & SPAs)
- DASA Scheme: DASA stands for Direct Admission for Students Abroad and is a scheme by MHRD, India.
- CIWG Scheme: CIWG stands for Children of Indian Workers in Gulf (it is a subset of DASA; 1/3rd of seats from DASA are reserved for Gulf Quota/CIWG scheme; i.e. 5% of total seats in a college). The scheme is available for students from Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.
Is there any NRI Quota in IIT?
There is no NRI Quota at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). The admissions are strictly based on the IIT-JEE Mains and Advance Exam.
NRI Quota in NITs, IIITs, SPAs & CFTIs
NRI/PIO/OCI Students can take admission to NITs, IIITs, SPAs & CFTIs (Centrally Funded Technical Institutes) under DASA and CIWG. Let’s check out the state wise colleges providing NRI Quota in NITs under DASA and the number of seats under the scheme:
| State | Colleges | NRI Quota Seats (DASA) |
|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | School of Planning & Architecture, Vijayawada | 17 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | National Institute of Technology, Arunachal Pradesh | 35 |
| Assam | – National Institute of Technology, Silchar – Tezpur University, Assam | 12 12 |
| Bihar | National Institute of Technology, Patna | 89 |
| Chattisgarh | National Institute of Technology, Raipur, Chattisgarh | 28 |
| Delhi | – National Institute of Technology, Delhi – School of Planning & Architecture, Delhi – Delhi Technological University, Delhi – Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi – Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology, Delhi | 27 12 88 21 29 |
| Goa | National Institute of Technology, Goa | 14 |
| Gujarat | – Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat – Indian Institute of Information Technology, Vadodara – Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Gandhinagar | 873 14 108 |
| Haryana | – National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra – The University Institute of Engineering of Technology (UIET), Chandigarh – The University Institute of Chemical Engineering & Technology (UICET), Chandigarh | 35 58 19 |
| Himachal Pradesh | National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur | 34 |
| Jammu and Kashmir | – National Institute of Technology, Srinagar – Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra, Jammu & Kashmir | 53 20 |
| Jharkhand | – National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur – National Institute of Foundry & Forge Technology, Ranchi | 25 39 |
| Karnataka | National Institute of Technology, Surathkal | 111 |
| Kerala | National Institute of Technology, Calicut | 94 |
| Madhya Pradesh | – Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal – School of Planning & Architecture, Bhopal – Indian Institute of Information Technology, Jabalpur | 94 15 12 |
| Maharashtra | – Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur – National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology, Aurangabad | 62 9 |
| Manipur | National Institute of Technology, Manipur | 27 |
| Meghalaya | National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya | 5 |
| Mizoram | National Institute of Technology, Mizoram | 23 |
| Odisha | National Institute of Technology, Rourkela | 110 |
| Punjab | – National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, Punjab – PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh (deemed to be university) – Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology, Longowal – UIET Punjab University Swami Sarvanand Giri Regional Centre (UIET PUSSRC), Hoshiarpur | 77 75 72 20 |
| Rajasthan | National Institute of Technology, Jaipur | 55 |
| Sikkim | National Institute of Technology, Sikkim | 111 |
| Tamil Nadu | – National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, Karaikkal – National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu – Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design and Manufacturing, Kancheepuram – Indian Maritime University (IMU) | 72 116 9 80 |
| Telangana | National Institute of Technology, Warangal | 111 |
| Tripura | National Institute of Technology, Agartala | 121 |
| Uttar Pradesh | – Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh – Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh | 123 10 |
| Uttarakhand | National Institute of Technology, Uttarakhand | 25 |
| West Bengal | National Institute of Technology, Durgapur | 32 |
What is NRI Sponsored Quota?
NRI sponsored quota is a category of seats in educational institutions in India. It is reserved for Indian nationals who are sponsored by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). The students admitted under this quota are not necessarily NRIs themselves, but they must be sponsored by an NRI who is usually a close relative such as a parent or grandparent. The number of seats reserved under the NRI sponsored quota may vary depending on the institution and the course.
Points to Consider:
- Amongst the above mentioned colleges, 15% of the seats are reserved for NRIs/PIOs/OCIs & FN candidates under the DASA Quota.
- NRI Students from the gulf can apply under the CIWG Scheme (Children of Indian Worker in Gulf) for which 5% of seats are reserved for them (i.e. 1/3rd of DASA seats)
- CIWG candidates have to pay much fewer fees compared to non-Gulf NRIs applying under the DASA Quota. (For every CIWG applicant paying INR 6 lakhs for their UG course, a DASA candidate pays INR 22 lakhs for the same course)
- The competition under these schemes is pretty hard
- From the session 2021-22, DASA scheme will admit students on the basis of JEE Main scores before the registration deadline. Failure of submission of JEE Main scores in time will lead to non-attending the first 3 rounds of counselling for admissions resulting in a miss of opportunity to onboard your prospective colleges.
- From the session 2021-22, JEE Main Rank is mandatory for DASA / CIWG instead of SAT scores.
Rules for NRI Students in India: Documents Required
For NRI Candidates:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Resident Proof of Parents | Resident Certificate of Parents issued by the embassy of residing and IT complying country |
| Identity Proof of Candidate | Passport/ Visa/ Resident Visa |
| Employment Proof | Employment Letter (either parent) |
| Residential Proof of the Candidate | Citizenship of candidate |
| Income Proof | Income Tax Documents required as per IT Act 1961 |
| Education Proof | Study Certificate of candidate |
For NRI Sponsorship Candidate:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Resident Proof of the sponsor | Resident Certificate of sponsor issued by the embassy of residing and IT complying country |
| Identity Proof of sponsor | Passport/ Visa/ Resident Visa |
| Residential Proof of the Candidate | Citizenship of candidate |
| Income Proof of sponsor | PAN/ Tax Document |
| Education Proof of candidate | Affidavit |
NRI Quota in India
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FAQs
Under NRI Sponsored Quota, an NRI can sponsor a candidate’s education in India.
The employment details, student status, dependent visa status, or a copy of resident permit in the overseas destination can be submitted as proof of NRI Status and they need to be attested by the Indian embassy, notary or an Indian bank with an overseas branch.
You need to visit the Indian Embassy along with the required documents and apply for the certificate. The documents are different on the basis of the country you reside in.
An NRI can stay in India as long as he/she wants. However, after a stay of 182 days in one year in India, they become a Resident Indian. Their previous stay in India and abroad is also taken into account to determine the Residential Status of the individual.
No. A PAN Card is not mandatory to open an NRI Bank Account. You can submit Form 60 as an alternative. However, for carrying out investments in India and filing your tax returns, a PAN Card is mandatory.
The minimum requirement for enrolling in Anna University is a combined average of 50% in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. An NRI counselor is assigned to each department to look after the needs of the students and provide suggestions for improvement.
Yes, there is NRI quota in engineering colleges in Hyderabad. Some of these colleges are- Deccan Group of Institutions, Keshav Memorial Institute of Technology, Mahindra Ecole Centrale, Shadan Womens College of Engineering Technology and University College of Engineering.
