Gujarat: UGC orders pvt university to refund student fees in five days

Ahmedabad: The University Grants Commission (UGC) directed Karnavati University in Gandhinagar to urgently address a complaint related to fees not being refunded to a student. The complaint was filed by Ayush Sorathiya, who took admission in the BSc (Hons) Computer Science programme at the university.According to a letter issued by the UGC's Fee Nivaran Cell on Aug 24, 2024, the student paid a total fee of Rs 4 lakh, including Rs 1.40 lakh towards college fees and Rs 2.60 lakh for hostel accommodation. Sorathiya was admitted to the hostel on July 22, 2024, and to the college on July 23, 2024. He cancelled the hostel admission on July 29 and withdrew from the college on Aug 2.According to the UGC's fee refund policy for the academic year 2024–25 and a public notice issued in Feb 2024, the student is eligible for a full refund of the academic fee. The hostel fee is also required to be refunded on a pro-rata basis. The UGC instructed the university to take urgent action and process the refund within five working days, while informing both the student and the commission about the action taken.Meanwhile, complaints about private universities failing to refund fees increased nationwide, including in Gujarat. Students and parents claim that despite UGC guidelines, some institutions delay the refund process or refuse to return the money even after repeated requests.Experts say many students initially secure admission in private universities due to delays in govt college admissions, but later withdraw when they receive seats in govt institutions, leading to frequent refund disputes.