The University Grants Commission (UGC), Ministry of Education, Government of India directed to refund  fees for the First Year of Under- Graduate and Post- Graduate Students of the Universities for the Session 2020- 21 in View of COVID-19 Pandemic.

“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 admission/ migration of students up to 30.11.2020. Therefore, 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 ₹1000/- as procession fee.”

The guidelines are available on UGC website https:// www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/1019576Guideline.pdf

Secretary of UGC, Prof. Rajnish Jain issued the order vide No.F.14-17/2020 (CPP-II)  Dated 17th December 2020 that the UGC had been receiving several references in the form of RTI applications/ complaint/ public grievances/ court cases in respect of non refund of fee by the universities/ institution in violation of the UGC Guidelines. The Commission has taken a very serious view of such complaints. The complaints had come from the students who have taken admission in private or self financial universities and deemed to be universities and later opted out for one or the other reasons.

The UGC guidelines were to be followed mandatorily by all the universities in letter and spirit. Any institution/ university found to be violating the guidelines and refusing to refund the fee by giving its own interpretation of the guidelines shall be liable for punitive actions as notified in clause 5 of the UGC notification refund of fees and non-retention of original certificate issued in October 2008 (https:// www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/ 5437737UGC-Notice-reg-Fees-refund-Eng.pdf.

The order instructed to ensure the compliance of the UGC directions in respect of refund of fee in accordance with the UGC Guidelines on Academic Calendar.

(Kiso, IA Tening)