LOK SABHA
UGC Directions on Admission Fee
199. SHRI A. GANESHAMURTHI
SHRI RAMALINGAM S.
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether the University Grants Commission(UGC) has given any directions to Vice- Chancellors of all Universities to offer full refunds to first-year students who are unable to join their courses because of financial hardships or any other reasons amid the Covid-19 pandemic after receiving admission;
(b) whether UGC has received scores of complaints and submissions claiming non- refund or partial refund by colleges of money they had already paid for admission;
(c) if so, the details thereof; and
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(d) the action being taken or proposed to be taken against any college for violating this order?
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) to (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 199 FOR 08.03.2021 ASKED BY SHRI A. GANESHAMURTHI AND SHRI RAMALINGAM S. HON’BLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, REGARDING UGC DIRECTIONS ON ADMISSION FEE.
(a) to (d): In view of COVID-19 Pandemic, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued guidelines dated 22.09.2020 on academic calendar for the first year of Under- Graduate and Post-Graduate students of the Universities for the Session 2020-21. Para 5 of these guidelines states as under:
“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 admissions/ migration of students, up to 30.11.2020, for this very session as a special case. To be crystal clear, the entire fees including all charges be refunded in totality (Zero Cancellation charges) on account of cancellation/ migration up to 30.11.2020. Thereafter, on cancellation/ withdrawal of admissions up to 31.12.2020, the entire fee collected from a student be refunded in full after deduction of not more than Rs.1000/- as processing fee.”
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Further, the UGC received several references in the form of RTI applications/ complaints/ public grievances/ court cases in respect of non-refund of fee and violation of guidelines by the Universities/ institutions. The UGC while taking a serious view of such complaints, has issued a letter dated 17.12.2020 to the Vice-Chancellors of all Universities stating that the UGC guidelines are to be followed mandatorily by all the universities in letter and spirit. Further, it has also been stated in the letter that any University/ institution found to be violating the guidelines and refusing to refund the fee shall be liable for punitive actions as notified in clause 5 of the UGC notification of 2018 on Refund of Fees and Non-retention of Original Certificate.