Friday, October 25, 2019

Court News- universities

Med college told to cough up Rs 20L for ‘not satisfactory’ TC

Ram Sundaram | Oct 21, 2019, 04:10 IST

Chennai: The state consumer disputes redressal forum directed a medical college in the state to pay a fine of Rs 20 lakh and make corrections to a transfer certificate it had issued to one of its students. The character of the medical student, who went to court after his college refused an internship transfer so that he could take care of his ailing parents, was branded ‘not satisfactory’ in his transfer certificate.

V Balasundar Raj, a native of Tirupur district, joined MBBS course at Shree Mookambika Institute of Medical Sciences in Kanyakumari in September 2006.

He availed an education loan to complete his course in August 2011 and a provisional registration certificate was issued by the Tamil Nadu Medical Council for him to undergo compulsory rotating resident internship (CRRI) for a year.

During his internship, his father was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine) and his aged mother had limb ischemia (reduced blood flow) and left subclavian artery inclusion. Both were undergoing treatment at Vellore.

Balasundar applied for CRRI transfer to Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore. While CMC gave its nod, Mookambika Institute rejected the request. Balasundar then approached the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University, to which the institute was affiliated to, seeking a transfer but there was no progress.

He then moved the Madras high court. In July 2012, the court directed the college to issue a no objection certificate (NOC) towards his transfer after he paid Rs 75,000 fees that was due. Despite paying the dues, the college delayed the certification process, said Balasundar, forcing him to file a contempt petition in court.

Irked by this, the college issued a TC and course completion certificate stating that the student’s character was ‘not satisfactory’.

Balasundar claimed the college wasted two years of his life and spoiled his future by making such remarks in the certificate. The college admitted to issuing such a TC as the conduct of the student had to be assessed only by the college authority.

Justice S Tamilvanan observed that the ‘improper attitude’ of the college was condemnable and unwarranted. “No educational institution should treat students as enemies,” he added. The forum directed the college to pay Balasundar Rs 20 lakh compensation for deficiency in services and agony caused, and another Rs 10,000 towards litigation expenses.

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