National consumer disputes redressal commission have told SASTRA to also return 50 per cent fees
V.S.Ramamurthy, director, National Institute of Advanced Studies, awards doctorate to Shabir Ahmad Ganai during the Sastra university's 28th convocation on Saturday. (Photo:DC)
Chennai: Upholding the order of the district and state consumer forums, the national consumer disputes redressal commission, New Delhi, has directed the Shanmuga Arts, Science Technology and Research Academy (SASTRA), deemed university, Thanjavur, to return the original certificates collected from seven students who left it and joined other institutions. The commission also directed the institution to refund 50 per cent of fees collected from them.
In a complaint, Devendra Prasad, Gopi Bigha village, Nalanda district, Bihar, submitted that his son got admission into Sastra for the B Tech course for the academic year 2010-2011. Prasad deposited Rs 62,000 with the institution on July 2, 2010, but when his son received calls for counselling from other prestigious institutions, he withdrew him and requested the return of original certificates and refund of fee.
When Sastra refused to oblige, Prasad and six others filed a petition before the district consumer disputes redressal forum, Thanjavur. He won here and the appeal before the state consumer disputes redressal commission, Chennai, in August 2013. Challenging the orders, the institution filed revision petitions before the national consumer disputes redressal commission.
The division bench, comprising presiding member Justice Ajit Bharihoke and member Rekha Gupta, pointed to the University Grants Commission’s order of 2007, instructing all institutions to maintain a waiting list of candidates. In the event of a student withdrawing before the start of the course, the waitlisted candidate will be given admission against the vacant seat and the entire fee, after deducting a processing fee of not more than Rs 1,000, shall be refunded. It will not be permissible for institutions to retain documents in original, it said.
Next Story
