Students struggle to receive their certificates as private college fails to pay examination fee to Madurai Kamaraj University

Madurai Students studying in Private Arts and Science College for Women in Virudhunagar are facing difficulties in receiving their certificates from Madurai Kamaraj University as the college failed to pay the semester examination fees to the Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU).

Around 2500 students are studying in UG and PG courses in the college. Though the college had collected fee from the students, the management failed to pay the semester examination fees to the MKU for the students from April 2020 onwards.

It came to light after students thronged the Madurai Kamaraj University to get their certificates, and consolidated mark statements. Speaking to Express, on request of anonymity, a student from Private Arts and Science College said that she had paid all the semester examination fees to the college. But, the college did not issue the certificates on time. Then, she approached the varsity to get the certificates to apply for the BEd course and she came to know that college had failed to pay the semester examination fees to the varsity. Many students are facing similar difficulties in getting certificates.

"The college management insisted that we pay the examination fees again to the MKU. How can we, the students, pay the examination fees again? We are facing difficulties to receive the certificates from the varsity," she said.

Express contacted the college principal, Kumaresan Palaniraj and spoke about the issue. He refuted the students' grievances and said that no examination dues are pending in the varsity. Responding to this issue, on request of anonymity, a higher official from the MKU said that initially the college authorities said that in view of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, students are facing difficulties to pay the examination fee and asked to waive it.

The University then sent four notices to the college to pay the semester examination fees. However, it wasn't paid, and the college just submitted a letter to request time for the payment, he said. Further, he stated that till now the college has to pay an amount of Rs 49,15,783 as semester examination fees from April 2020 onwards.

So far 200 students have received certificates from the varsity as they wanted to apply for higher education. Still, more than 500 students are yet to receive certificates for the academic year 2019-20.