Colleges are not service providers: consumer panel

A district consumer forum here has dismissed a student's plea against prestigious St Stephen's College here for refund of tution fee on grounds of deficient service, saying colleges are not service providers.
The district forum was considering a complaint filed by Paschim Vihar resident Ranbir Kumar who claimed that he was not provided with ID card, student's pass and library facility even after he had paid the fees of Rs 6,235 for one year certificate course in German in 2008.
"There are a plethora of judgements that the service provided by education institution is not service and such university and college cannot be said to be the service provider in lieu of the fees taken by them for the purpose of any academic course," the forum said.

According to Kumar's complaint, he had joined the course on August 6, 2008, and paid the fee for one year certificate course in German. He alleged that the college refused him an ID card, bus pass and the library facility which in-turn led to mental torture and harassment.
He also alleged that he failed to obtain certificate or diploma from the Delhi University due to deficiency in service or unfair trade practice.
The college denied the allegations and said he was only asked to write an assessment test in German which he refused.
It submitted that Kumar was admitted for a diploma course in part-time language course and there was no provision for issuing identity cards to students of such part-time programmes.

It also said that library facility was not provided as the college library does not have books in foreign languages.