Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, orders College to compensate 4 students

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, June 27, 2014: Karnataka State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered St Aloysius College in the city to pay Rs 2 lakh each to four students as compensation for failing to award the master’s degree as promised in the prospectus.

The autonomous college had commenced Master of Communication and Media Studies in 2008 without the approval of Mangalore University. In the year 2008, students Reena S and Sandhya C D’Souza and in 2009, students Harsha Raj Gatty and Wilma Lydia Serrao had enrolled for the two year post graduate programme by paying Rs 80,000 and Rs 1,14,000 as fees respectively. When the college failed to provide the degree after successful completion, students approached the consumers’ forum. The Dakshina Kannada District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum ordered the college to reimburse double the tuition fee to four students towards damages in March 2013. The DK Forum also had directed the institute to pay Rs 2,000 towards litigation expenses to complainants. However, the college appealed before the state panel challenging the district forum’s order.

St Aloysius Institutions Rector Rev Fr Denzil Lobo informed the media reps that they will appeal against the order in National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. "The students have already received their degree. It was a problem with the terminology and permission from the university was delayed. We will appeal against the order in the higher forum," he said. So, the case proceeds.