The Department of Consumer Affairs has recently allocated the refunds exceeding 1 crore to over 656 students from various coaching institutes offering courses for UPSC Civil Services, IIT, medical entrance exams, CA, and management studies.

According to the report, the refund amount was processed after the students lodged the complaint through the platform of National Consumer Helpline (NCH). The step was initiated due to unfulfilled promises, inadequate teaching quality, and course cancellations.

The Secretary of Department of Consumer Affairs, Nidhi Khare mentioned that,the government is inclined to safeguarding the rights of consumers, especially students who invest their precious time and resources in pursuing their future dreams.

She also added that this action reaffirms the government’s commitment to ensure that coaching institutions adhere to fair practices and honour the rights of consumers.

According to the report, all refunds were promptly processed at the pre-litigation stage following the intervention of the Department of Consumer Affairs on behalf of affected students nationwide. In its commitment to safeguarding consumer rights and promoting transparency in the education sector, the Department of Consumer Affairs, through the National Consumer Helpline, successfully intervened to ensure justice for the students.

After analyzing numerous complaints registered in the National Consumer Helpline regarding unfair practices by various coaching, particularly regarding the non-refund of enrollment fees, the helpline launched a focused initiative to address these grievances.

So far, it has facilitated refunds totaling one crore rupees out of the 2.39 crore rupees claimed by affected students. Over a span of 12 months, approximately 16,276 students sought assistance from the helpline. In 2021-2022, 4,815 grievances were registered, followed by 5,351 complaints in 2022-2023.