Hyderabad: The Ministry of Human Resource Development, (MHRD) has issued strict instructions to University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) regarding the refunding of academic fees to students in case they wish to discontinue the course they are studying.
The decision was taken after many students complained to the education board that colleges were choosing not to refund their fees.
The excuse being given by the educational institutes was that students had signed an agreement form during admissions that a particular sum would be deduct from the fees before returning the same. According to the students this was proving to be a burden to students who sought to join other institution, as they had to pay for admission the entire amount.
As per the recognised norm no educational institution can withhold fees or original certificates of students should they choose to leave the institution.
The rule should be followed to ensure that students are not forced to study in a discipline they no longer wish to follow. Punishment for not following these norms could mean that institutions risk losing their affiliation.
