Consumer Forum directs study centre to pay Rs 20K to student

A consumer forum here has ordered a city-based study centre of Tamil Nadu's Madurai Kamaraj University to pay Rs 20,000 to a student for "deficiency in service".
The Thane District Consumer Redressal Forum, headed by Sneha Mhatre and members Madhuri Vishwarupe and ND Kadam, also directed the centre to allow the complainant, Mukund Kulkarni, to appear for the forthcoming exam.
Kulkarni had said he took admission for the Post Graduate course in Actuarial Science of the varsity with its study centre here and paid Rs 7,300 as fee in January 2013.
"The centre, however, failed to provide any study material despite several reminders. The course was to get completed in May 2014 and since it did not pay any attention to may reminders, my one academic year was lost," he claimed.

He further claimed had he completed the course on time he would have got a job with a monthly salary of Rs 4,000. Hence, in his complaint to the Forum, Kulkarni sought a compensation of Rs 40,000.
The Forum issued notices to both the study centre and the Madurai-based varsity. As both failed to appear before it and present their version, the quasi-judicial body passed an ex-parte verdict against them.

In its order, the Forum said it was mandatory for the study centre to provide study material after payment of the fees, as stated in the prospectus.
However, the complainant was not provided study material. This amounted to "deficiency in service" by both the centre and the university, it said.

The Forum ordered the study centre to pay Rs 20,000 to Kulkarni as compensation by April-end failing which it will have to pay an interest of 6 per cent till realisation of the amount.