Institute told to pay Rs 2.08 lakh to student for delay in completion of course

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 17

A multimedia institute has been directed to pay over Rs 2 lakh to a student for delaying completion of his course. On the complaint of Mahesh Kumar of Khuda Ali Sher village, here, the OXL group and OXL School of Multimedia has been penalised by the district consumer forum.

As per the complaint, Kumar took admission on June 7, 2012, in the institute for studying the Bachelor of Science in Multimedia (degree course) having a duration of three years with six semesters commencing from June 16, 2012. The fee of the said course was Rs 2.70 lakh which the complainant paid till February 28, 2014.

It was also claimed that Kumar was told that the institute is recognised and affiliated with Punjab Technical University (PTU), Jalandhar, and the degrees of the course shall be awarded by the same university. During the process of examination of first semester in March 2013, the institute told the complainant that since a court case is going on against the PTU before the Delhi High Court, hence the degree cannot be awarded by the said university and asked him and other students to switch over to Karnataka State Open University, Mysore.

Having no option, the complainant under compelling circumstances, switched over from the PTU to Karnataka State Open University. An agreement was signed and Rs 10,000 was paid for switching the university. Now, the examination of the second semester was postponed time and again and finally the students approached the police.

Finally, the second year examination was held in December 2014 but the results of said examination has not been declared till date. It is also stated that the duration of the said course was three years, which should have been completed by 2015, but till date the result of the second year has not been declared and as a result, many students quit the course.

It was further stated that when the complainant searched the website of the Karnataka university, he was shocked to note that there is no description of the course. On further inquiry, the complainant also came to know that the UGC had derecognised the Mysore university for offering programme through distance learning mode in April 2013 itself and as such, the degree awarded by the said university is not recognised.

In its reply, the institute said the change of university was demanded by the complainant and they gave it in writing. It also stated that they started running long distance education academic programmess in various courses with the help of national coordinators Mindtrek Edutech Private Limited, who has MOU with the Karnataka university for providing various types of courses and degrees in long distance educational institutes of the country.

It added that the institute had also filed a criminal complaint dated September 2, 2016, against coordinator (Mindtrek Edutech Private Limited) before the Senior Superintendent of Police, Chandigarh, which is under investigation and at the final stage.

The forum in its order observed, “Opposite parties did not take any reasonable steps to safeguard the interest of the students/complainant.”

It added, “neither they initiated the refund process nor they tried to adjust the students in any degree college to save their precious academic year.” It thus directed them to refund Rs 1.50 lakh to the complainant along with Rs 50,000 as compensation for causing the complainant mental agony and physical harassment and Rs 8,000 towards litigation expenses.