School ordered to pay back admission fee

Ahmedabad: The Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Ahmedabad (rural), has ordered the local Delhi Public School to refund Rs 34,500 with nine per cent interest and a compensation of Rs 5,000 for mental agony and harassment caused to S K Choudhary, who had secured admission for his daughter Sambhavi in class XI (science) in the school.



The complaint was filed by Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), Ahmedabad, and Choudhary. Sambhavi had taken admission in DPS, paying Rs 40,000 towards admission fees, development fund and caution money, on June 19, 2009.
But four days later, she obtained admission to another school. Choudhary requested DPS authorities to refund the amount as Sambhavi had not attended the school even for a day. But school authorities refused on grounds that the amount paid was “non-refundable”. It refunded only Rs 5,500 collected towards ‘caution money’.
Choudhary complained to CERS, which urged DPS for an amicable settlement but the school persistently turned down its pleas. CERS issued a legal notice on December 23, 2009, urging the school to refund the balance amount of Rs 34,500 within 30 days, but the school stood its stand on the issue.
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, New Delhi, had decided that “the fees once paid are not refundable” rule is unfair and unenforceable. Even the University Grants Commission (UGC) had issued a public notice to all schools and other educational institutions directing them to refund such amounts to students.
The forum found that the stand taken by DPS was against various court judgments and UGC guidelines and was not maintainable. The forum ordered DPS to refund Rs 34,500 to Choudhary with nine per cent interest from the date of the complaint until payment and pay him Rs 5,000 for mental agony, harassment and expenses.
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