Issue regarding college administration

863 votes

Could you please explain your issue with the college administration in more detail? For example, you can mention: What is the exact problem you are facing? Which department or authority is involved? What action have you taken so far? What kind of help or guidance you are looking for?

Advocate Mahrukh Khan LawRato

964 votes

No college or educational institution in India can legally compel a student to pay tuition fees for the entire course duration when the student withdraws before completion, unless such payment corresponds to the services actually rendered. The University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) have repeatedly clarified that institutions cannot demand fees for unutilized periods of study, nor can they impose blanket penalties for withdrawal. The Supreme Court of India, too, has held in several judgments that charging fees for future academic years amounts to “unjust enrichment” and violates principles of fairness under the Contract Act, as education is not a commercial commodity. Under the UGC’s “Refund of Fees and Non-Retention of Original Certificates” guidelines, institutions are required to clearly specify their refund policy and return the balance fee within a stipulated period upon withdrawal. Any clause requiring payment of four years’ fees, even if withdrawal happens in the first semester, would be considered coercive, one-sided, and voidable under Indian contract law as being opposed to public policy.

Advocate Sanil Sarkar LawRato