Lok Sabha Question No. 199 (STARRED), answered on 2021-03-08
Subject: UGC Directions on Admission Fee
Ministry: Education
Asked by: A. Ganeshamurthi, S. Ramalingam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION No. 199 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.03.2021

## 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 ViceChancellors 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  nonrefund or partial refund by colleges of money they had already paid for admission; (c) if so, the details thereof; and (d) the action being taken or proposed to be taken against any college for violating this order?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK')

(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  to  (d)  OF  LOK  SABHA A. MEMBERS  OF

STARRED QUESTION NO. 199 FOR 08.03.2021 ASKED BY SHRI GANESHAMURTHI AND SHRI RAMALINGAM S. HON'BLE 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 UnderGraduate 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.' 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.

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