Assam proposes Reservation for NRI, Assamese Diaspora Medical Students on payment of reasonable fees

Guwahati: In an attempt to help the NRI and Assamese Diaspora students get enrolled for the MBBS course in the State, the Finance Minister of Assam Ajanta Neog has proposed reserving some of the state quota MBBS seats for such students on payment of reasonable fees.

This decision has been taken by the Finance Minister as a part of the proposed facelift for healthcare in the State. Addressing this proposal, the Finance Minister mentioned in her Budget speech, "This will also add to the revenue of the college society and make them financially more sustainable."

Apart from this, the Minister also added that altogether 722 PG (MD/MS) seats and 46 DM/MCh Super Speciality seats have been increased in the State's seat matrix.

Recently, the National Medical Commission gave its permission for 100 MBBS seats each at Nalbari Medical College and Kokrajhar Medical College.

However, recently, the Finance Minister of Assam Ajanta Neog pointed out how despite the increase of MBBS seats in the State, NRI and Assamese diaspora students are not being able to take advantage of the same.

Referring to this, she was quoted saying by the Times of India, “Despite the increase in graduate medical seats to 1,500 in Assam, it is seen that the NRI and Assamese diaspora is not able to take advantage of the state quota due to certain restrictions. It is therefore proposed some seats will be reserved for them in the state quota on payment of reasonable fees. This will also add to the revenue of the college society and make them financially more sustainable.”

She also addressed the concept of "Thriving for Excellence in Healthcare" for making Assam the health hub of the northeast India by 2026 and added that in order to give a boost to the healthcare facilities along with medical education, the State has decided to commence functioning of the three new medical colleges at Kokrajhar, Nalbari and Nagaon from the next academic session.

She further mentioned that four new medical colleges are being set up in four districts including Tinsukia, Charaideo, Biswanath and Kamrup (Metro) district.

“In addition to these, construction of another eight new medical colleges at Karimganj, Goalpara, Tamulpur, Bongaigaon, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Golaghat and Sivasagar have been taken up by the government,” she said.

Further, the Finance Minister mentioned that the State has taken up the project for setting up superspeciality wing at existing six medical colleges to improve the six district hospitals and Swasthya Bhawan

In order to provide affordable and accessible healthcare for all the people in the State, Neog further proposed some new interventions including 1,000 new ambulances to the hospitals, establishing nine new BSc nursing colleges in the medical colleges at Diphu, Jorhat, Tezpur, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Nalbari, Barpeta, Kokrajhar and Dhubri.

Also Read: NMC nod for 100 MBBS Seats in Nalbari Medical College