Colleges can't hold students' documents Prakash Kumar NEW DELHI: December 9, 2016, DHNS

Colleges can't hold students' documents

Prakash Kumar NEW DELHI: December 9, 2016, DHNS

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has restricted higher educational institutions (HEIs) from keeping in its custody the original mark sheets, school leaving certificates and other documents of students.

It has also strictly prohibited the HEIs from charging tuition fees in advance for the entire programme of study or for more than one semester or year, which a student is enrolled to, notifying a new set of rules for the universities, colleges and other institutions.

“The HEIs shall physically verify the originals at the time of admission of the student in his/her presence and return them immediately after satisfying themselves about their authenticity and veracity, keeping the attested copies for their record. The HEIs shall charge fees in advance only for the semester/year in which a student is to engage in academic activities,” the UGC rule stated.

The commission’s rules provide for a four-tier system for the refund of fees remitted by students in case of those choosing to withdraw from the programme after enrolment.

Refund rules
The higher educational institutions will now have to refund 100% fee on serving of notice of withdrawal of admission by a student 15 days before the formally-notified last date of admission. The refund is 80% within 15 days after the last date of admission. Between 15 to 30 days, the refund will be 50% of the fee. No money will be refunded to a student who submits a withdrawal notice after 30 days of the last date of admission, according to the rules.

The UGC has formulated the rules to prohibit “coercive and profiteering institutional practices” by the universities and colleges. “Let me apprise you that the UGC has taken a serious view of the complaints brought to its notice by students and other stakeholders and will take strict action against universities and their affiliated/constituent colleges breaching the provisions of this notification,” UGC Secretary Jaspal S Sandhu said in a letter to all universities, colleges and other higher educational institutions.

A considerable number of complaints, grievances, court cases and other references were received by the commission on various “coercive and shady dealings” carried out by the HEIs, which reflected that “profiteering motivations” still drove the operation of “quite a few institutions in India”, he said.