NEET crash course that never took off: Consumer commission orders coaching institute to refund fee

Chandigarh: What began as a father’s attempt to give his daughter an extra edge for the highly competitive NEET medical entrance exam, ended in a six-year case that culminated in a victory before the Chandigarh Consumer Commission.The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Chandigarh, has directed a coaching institute to refund Rs 33,000 paid by a Gurgaon resident for his daughter’s NEET crash course that was disrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic.In Feb 2020, Achint Chaudhary enrolled his daughter in a one-month NEET crash course at a coaching centre in Chandigarh. The course was scheduled to begin on April 1, 2020, just as the country was entering an unprecedented nationwide lockdown due to the outbreak of Covid-19.Physical classes never commenced. According to the complaint, the institute assured parents that online classes would be conducted until normal classes could resume. However, Chaudhary alleged that instead of structured online teaching, students received only a few recorded video lectures.The father claimed that while his daughter watched some of the videos initially, they proved ineffective because there was no interaction with teachers and no mechanism for clearing doubts.As the exam date approached, frustration mounted. The family repeatedly sought a refund through emails sent in Sept and Oct 2020 and later issued a legal notice.The coaching centre disputed the allegations, maintaining that online classes had begun on April 4, 2020. The institute argued that attendance records showed the daughter attended online sessions until June 10, 2020.It further contended that the fee paid for the crash course was non-refundable. The commission found that the institute had failed to produce convincing evidence showing that a complete and structured online crash course had actually been conducted.The bench noted that while the institute submitted an attendance sheet, it did not provide class schedules, faculty-wise records, screenshots of live sessions, recordings, or other material proving that comprehensive coaching equivalent to the promised course was delivered.The commission also pointed out that the institute’s own fee receipt did not mention any non-refundable fee clause.Holding the institute guilty of deficiency in service and unfair trade practice, the commission ordered it to refund the entire course fee of Rs 33,000 and pay interest at 6% per annum from Sept 18, 2020, until realisation. It also awarded Rs 10,000 towards compensation and litigation expenses.