‘Punitive actions’ against any institution or university violating guidelines and refusing to refund fee
Kohima, December 19 (MExN): The University Grants Commission (UGC), Ministry of Education, Government of India has issued a directive to refund fees for the first year of Under-Graduate and Post- Graduate Students of the Universities for the Session 2020-21 in view of COVID-19 Pandemic.
“In order to avoid financial hardship being faced by the parents due to lockdown and related factors, full refund of fees be made on account of all cancellation of admission/migration of students up to November 30. Therefore, on cancellation/withdrawal of admissions up to December 31, 2020, the entire fee collected from a student be refunded in full after deduction of not more than Rs. 1000 as procession fee,” UGC directed.
The UGC, Secretary, Prof Rajnish Jain in an order dated December 17 stated that the UGC had been receiving several references in the form of RTI applications, complaint, public grievances and court cases in respect of non-refund of fee by the universities and institution in violation of the UGC guidelines.
“The Commission has taken a very serious view of such complaints. The complaints had come from the students who have taken admission in private or self financial universities and deemed to be universities and later opted out for one or the other reasons,” the UGC Secretary noted.
The UGC guidelines were to be followed mandatorily by all the universities in letter and spirit.
Any institution or university found to be violating the guidelines and refusing to refund the fee by giving its own interpretation of the guidelines shall be liable for punitive actions as notified in clause 5 of the UGC notification refund of fees and non-retention of original certificate issued in October 2008 (https:// www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/ 5437737UGC-Notice-reg-Fees-refund-Eng.pdf.
The order instructed to ensure the compliance of the UGC directions in respect of refund of fee in accordance with the UGC guidelines on academic calendar.
The guidelines are available on UGC website https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/1019576Guideline.pdf
