Hyderabad: Complaints have been rising against private colleges under Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education for seizing original certificates of students submitted during admission time, if they do not submit ‘No Dues’.
Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education has not given the required rights to any the colleges to withheld originals but many private colleges continue to do the same. This has been the case with some Polytechnic, B.Tech Colleges and Pharmacy colleges too .
General Secretary for Forum Against Corruption Bijit Vanamala said: “Multiple complaints have been coming in regarding the colleges confiscating certificates illegally. In most cases, parents’ financial burden and students’ need to change the course are being ignored by colleges that have not been letting them to make a free decision, regarding the careers, as if one wishes to quit, they can do only after clearing all the fees for getting the certificates.”
Kiran Medi, who had done his B.Tech in Brilliant College of Engineering and Technology, said that his original certificates haven’t been returned to him as he could not pay the attendance fee. The certificates were withheld in a crucial time of his career. Telangana Pharmacy College Associations’ president Ramdas said: “Certificates can also be returned in the middle of the academic year to students or mostly to parents. This can be returned to parents in case of minors, if a valid reason is provided, or else, it will be with the management till the end of the course. But certificates cannot be withheld after this for other reasons. This is applicable to universities as well. University Grants Comm-ission has also mentioned that students should not be harassed for fee and certificates should be given back.”
However, College Assoc-iations cite a different tale that there is no way that they can collect fee from the students if the original certificates are returned to them. Minority Colleges’ Association president Mohammad Ghouse said: “It is also the moral responsibility of the parents to clear the dues or else how will the institutions run. Some major colleges will collect the fee in the initial stages only, some other colleges collect it before issuing hall tickets but fees should be cleared by the students and no dues’ certificate should be obtained.”
Madhusudhan Reddy, president of Intermediate Junior Colleges’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) said that the originals should be returned immediately after the first year examinations if there is any need. “It is sad that some private colleges are not returning the certificates to the students on the pretext of monetary claims, even when students are in need,” he said.
