The Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) on Thursday kept in abeyance the allotment of 214 MBBS and 217 BDS seats reserved under the NRI quota across 28 colleges — 12 medical and 16 dental — in the state for the 2026 session, citing the pendency of a writ petition before the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) challenging its admission process.BFUHS Registrar said the further process for allotment of NRI quota seats would be undertaken only in accordance with the outcome and directions of the High Court.In the first round of admissions, the university had already allotted 47 NRI quota MBBS seats and three BDS seats before the abeyance came into effect.The abeyance follows a petition moved by an aspirant after the university allegedly declined to consider his candidature under the NRI quota despite his father’s sister (bhua), a citizen of the United States, furnishing certificates and an affidavit in the prescribed format.The candidate claimed that the university’s own prospectus stated admissions would be made as per guidelines of the Punjab and Central governments, the National Medical Commission, the National Dental Commission and the Medical Counselling Committee.He also cited a BFUHS notice dated May 27 to contend that candidates brought up by specified NRI relatives were entitled to consideration under the quota.At the hearing on September 7, counsel for the BFUHS submitted before the court that against the 214 MBBS seats reserved for NRI candidates, only 63 applications had been received.Noting that the number of applicants was lower than the number of available seats, the High Court directed the university to take a decision and apprise it whether the applicants could be considered against the vacant seats. Following this order, the BFUHS deferred counselling and admissions on NRI quota.