Around 40 students who studied in a government-aided college in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, are facing challenges in continuing their higher education due to the college management refusing to issue Transfer Certificate (TC) to them and compelling them to pay excess fees as fixed by the college management, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, one of the students, R Devaraj, said that he studied BA Economics course in the government-aided college in the year 2022-23. He paid Rs 7,000 during the first year which is illegal, the actual fee fixed by the government is Rs 390.
A student's woes
In the second year, Devaraj paid Rs 7,000. In the third year, nearly 40 students and himself staged a protest and refused to pay the excess fees as fixed by the college management. Following the students' complaint, Collegiate Education Regional Joint Director R Pon Muthuramalingam and then District Collector Dr S Aneesh Sekhar ordered the college management to return the excess fees to the students. But, the college management has not returned the excess fees. Now, the students, including himself, completed their course. But the college Principal Rajendran refused to issue Transfer Certificate to them by citing they haven't paid the excess fees as fixed by the college management, he said.
Devaraj further stated that students, including himself, received provisional admissions to other government-aided colleges for continuing their PG degree. In this situation, where the college is refusing to issue TC will question their higher education.
"I lodged a complaint letter to District Collector MS Sangeetha, authorities of Higher Education Department, Chief Minister cell. But, they turned a blind eye," he added.
"Against the Supreme Court..."
Save Higher Education Forum State Co-ordinator R Murali said that government-aided colleges violate the government norms, as they collect excess fees. Not only this, at the government-aided college in Madurai, and various other colleges across the state including DB Jain College, Guru Nanak College, students questioned the excess fee collection of the colleges. But, the government hasn't initiated any inquiry into them.
"Denial of TC to the students is against the Supreme Court's order. The Dravida model government needs to ensure social justice for all the students. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin needs to intervene in this issue and render justice to these students", he said.
Responding to this issue, Regional Joint Director of Collegiate Education R Pon Muthuramalingam assured to intervene.
