Tackling Financial Coercion In Education: HRD Issues New Rules, Full Course Fees Cannot Be Collected Upfront

The ministry of human resource development (HRD) has issued a new set of rules to higher education institutes which prohibit them from demanding full course fees at the time of a student’s admission, The New Indian Express has reported.

New norms also bar the practice of retaining original certificates of the candidates. These rules will be applicable to undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes of universities, colleges and deemed to be universities.

Institutes will have to refund the entire course fee without any penalty if the student decides to withdraw within 15 days of admission. These guidelines have been issued in the light of rising instances of financial irregularities by institutes. Union Minister for HRD Prakash Javadekar said that the University Grants Commission (UGC) had already issued guidelines on refunds and non-retention of original certificates.

As per the new rules, institutes can collect fees in advance only for one semester. Profiteering and coercive practices will are prohibited hereafter.