The government announced on Saturday that it has successfully secured refunds totaling ₹1.56 crore for over 600 students and aspirants who had been denied refunds by coaching centres. The relief was achieved through grievances filed via the National Consumer Helpline (NCH), the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) stated.
The affected students were enrolled in coaching programs for civil services, engineering courses, and other competitive examinations. Despite adhering to the terms and conditions of their respective coaching institutes, they were denied refunds for unfulfilled services, delayed classes, or canceled courses.
Taking swift action, the DoCA directed coaching centres to adopt a student-centric approach and cease the unfair practice of withholding refunds. The Department emphasized that denying legitimate refund claims would no longer be tolerated, urging educational institutions to respect consumer rights.
“The swift action by the Department has helped students receive compensation for unfulfilled services, late classes, or canceled courses, ensuring they do not bear the financial burden of unfair business practices,” the Ministry of Consumer Affairs said in a statement.
The Department further highlighted its commitment to strengthening the complaint redressal mechanism and educating students about their consumer rights. “Through proactive efforts, the Department aims to empower students to take action against any form of unfair treatment,” the ministry added.
The NCH, which played a key role in resolving these grievances, has become a vital platform for addressing consumer complaints across the country. It operates in 17 languages, including Hindi, English, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Nepali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Maithili, Santhali, Bengali, Odia, Assamese, and Manipuri. Consumers can register complaints via the toll-free number 1915, ensuring accessibility across all regions.
The helpline has seen a remarkable increase in engagement over the years. The number of calls received grew from 12,553 in December 2015 to 1,55,138 in December 2024. Similarly, the average number of monthly complaints registered surged from 37,062 in 2017 to 1,12,468 in 2024, as informed to Parliament earlier this month.
-IANS
