College directed to pay ₹40,000 to student for withholding certificates

College directed to pay ₹40,000 to student for withholding certificates

Nirupa.Vatyam@timesgroup.com

Hyderabad:27.01.2021 

A district consumer forum here has directed Madina Degree College for Women to pay about ₹40,000 to a student, who discontinued her bachelor’s course in the second year, for withholding her certificates and for forcing her to pay second year tuition fee.

M Jahanavi, the complainant, submitted that she had joined Bachelor of Science (BSc) course in the academic year 2017-18 at Madina Degree College for Women.

After completion of the first year, she said that she had qualified for the BPT (Bachelor of Physiotherapy) course in the counselling conducted by the Telangana State Council for Higher Education (TSCHE).

She said that she approached the staff concerned at the college seeking the return of her original certificates as she would need the same to complete the admission process into BPT course. Jahanavi alleged that the management insisted that she pay the fee for the remaining term of the course to get certificates. As the last date for submitting her certificates for admission into BPT course was nearing, she said that she had no option except to pay ₹24, 535 towards the second year so as to cancel her admission and get certificates back.

Claiming that demanding the fee in advance to return her original certificates amounts to unfair trade practice, she filed the complaint.

The opposite party, in their written version, said that allegations made by the complainant are false and frivolous. They submitted that as per the University Grants Commission rules, the complainant has to pay the entire course fee in view of the declaration given by her while taking admission. They said that the complainant, in fact, had to pay the entire fee (fee for three years) as per the rule, but the college was kind enough to consider the request of the complainant and forgo the third year’s fee.

During the trial, the bench noticed that as per the UGC rules, higher educational institutions can charge the fee in advance only for the semester/year in which a student wants to engage in academic activities, but not for the entire programme and cannot collect original certificates.

“The opposite party had not even issued fee receipt while collecting the second year fee. This amounts to deficiency of service and also the adoption of unfair trade practice,” the bench said.

The bench said the college did not even issue a fee receipt