New Delhi, Aug 25 : Responding to a PIL filed by an advocate named Adiz Zaman, the Supreme court on Friday temporarily blocked the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota for MBBS admissions in Assam's medical colleges. The apex court's order came in response to objections to the Rs 18 lakh per seat cost for NRI medical seat reservation. The ruling puts a stop to the NRI quota as of now. Earlier, the Assam government had declared 10 per cent reservation of seats in MBBS programmes at medical colleges across the state for NRI students. However, the move drew opposition from various quarters, prompting the filing of a PIL in the top Court. The NRI quota scheme, which demanded a significant payment of Rs 18 lakh per seat, was expressly contested in the PIL. The petition contended that charging such a large cost for seat reservation was against the ideas of fairness and equality in education. The PIL questioned whether this action would possibly lead to unequal access to medical education based on financial position, rather than academic ability. Reportedly, the arguments made by the state government in support of its move included the need to modify admission standards due to an increase in medical seats in Assam. The continuing admission procedure, which was predicated on the NRI quota, is effectively stopped by the court's judgment now. The court will now review the legality and fairness of the NRI quota during additional hearings and discussions. /IANS