Govt helps students recover Rs 1 crore as refund from coaching centres

The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has facilitated a refund of Rs 1 crore of admission fee to students and aspirants across India, mainly those preparing for competitive exams like UPSC Civil Services and IIT entry tests. The initiative was taken by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs after numerous complaints from students about unfair practices by coaching centres.

Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Consumer Affairs, emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring that coaching institutions respect the rights of students. “This action reaffirms our commitment to fair practices in the education sector,” Khare said.

NCH, working on a missionary mode, resolved a total of 16,276 student grievances in 2023-24, a significant increase over previous years. Common grievances included unfulfilled promises, poor quality of teaching and abrupt cancellation of courses. Students were encouraged to report their issues through NCH’s toll-free number 1915 or the consumerhelpline.gov.in portal.

The CCPA has also taken action to penalize coaching centers for misleading advertising and unfair practices in a bid to push the industry toward greater transparency and accountability.

(With tips from PTI)