FPJ-Ed: SC on OCI student's plea on fee parity, Why don't you opt for Indian citizenship and serve the country

New Delhi: On Tuesday, the Supreme asked an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) student seeking parity with Indian citizens on IIT fees, "why don't you opt for Indian citizenship and serve this country?"

A bench of Justices S A Nazeer and Krishna Murari issued notice on the student's petition and demanded a response from the Centre on the matter.

"The problem is that you want to have both ways. You want to study here and then fly there. Why don't you opt for Indian citizenship and serve this country?" the bench said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said this is something which is a wider issue and Indian students should not be unfairly treated.

The petitioner's counsel stated that IIT Madras was asking the student to pay the same fees as foreign nationals and referred to the Supreme Court's judgement permitting OCI candidates to attend NEET counselling in general category on par with residents here.

The plea contended that treating OCIs on par with Non Resident Indians and foreign nationals was arbitrary.

Highly popular among overseas Indians, the OCI card provides long term visa free travel and stay in India and gives the card-holders a host of privileges normally not given to a foreign national.