New Delhi: An appeal had been placed before the Supreme Court, asking for a mandate to universities and institutions across India to provide a reasonable time period for payment of fees. The court has asked the petitioners to approach the appropriate high courts.
The bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M.R. Shah denied the petitioner’s request to treat the plea as a representation and allowed the petitioner to withdraw it.
The plea had sought directions to both the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the University Grants Commissions (UGC) to issue a circular asking universities to give a reasonable time to students to pay their fees. The court noted that petitions related to the UGC have already been decided by the court and it cannot entertain the instant plea under Article 32.
The plea was filed by a Ramey Krishna Rana, a fourth year law student of Delhi Metropolitan Education, Noida. This plea was heard with another, filed by advocate Rauf Rahman, who sought direction to BCI to ensure that its circular is enforced in letter and spirit. The court asked both petitioners to approach the high courts.
Both the pleas were filed with reference to the guidelines issued by the UGC on May 27 and BCI on July 27 asking universities to have a sympathetic approach while dealing with payment of fees by students in wake of the prevailing circumstances. According to the petitioners, despite the circular nothing has been done by the Universities.
The petitioner has prayed for direction for looking into the waiver of certain components of the fee, like utilization of infrastructure fee, library, other facilities etc. on the ground that no such utilization is being done as physical classes are not being held, in Centers of Education and such be excluded. The plea has sought that a reasonable amount towards the tuition fees be charged and that no list containing the details of fees defaulter should be made public which will cause mental trauma.
-India Legal Bureau