Synopsis
The government has successfully secured refunds of Rs 1.56 crore for over 600 students from coaching centres through the National Consumer Helpline (NCH). This initiative is aimed at promoting consumer rights and ensuring fair treatment for students.Key Takeaways
- Rs 1.56 crore refunded to students
- Over 600 aspirants benefited
- Complaints filed through NCH
- Coaching centres directed to adopt student-focused practices
- NCH now supports 17 languages
New Delhi, Feb 22 (NationPress) The government announced on Saturday that it has successfully obtained refunds totaling Rs 1.56 crore for more than 600 students and aspirants from coaching centres by lodging complaints via the National Consumer Helpline (NCH).
These students, who were enrolled in coaching centres for civil services, engineering courses, and various other programs, had been denied their rightful refunds despite adhering to the terms and conditions outlined by the coaching institutions, as reported by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA).
The Department has instructed coaching centres to adopt a student-centric approach and eliminate the unjust practice of rejecting refund claims from students and aspirants.
This relief was made achievable through complaints lodged by students via the NCH, which provided a streamlined process for resolving disputes.
“The prompt action taken by the Department has ensured that students receive compensation for services that were not fulfilled, including late classes or cancelled courses, preventing them from suffering financial losses due to unfair business practices,” stated the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
The Department has emphasized that the unfair practice of denying legitimate refund claims will no longer be tolerated, and it has urged educational institutions to respect consumer rights.
“Through proactive measures, the Department of Consumer Affairs has committed to enhancing the grievance redressal mechanism and educating students about their consumer rights, empowering them to act in cases of unfair treatment,” the ministry added.
Meanwhile, the NCH has become a critical platform for addressing consumer grievances, operating in 17 languages and utilizing an AI-based speech recognition system.
The volume of calls received by the NCH has surged more than tenfold, increasing from 12,553 in December 2015 to 1,55,138 in December 2024.
Similarly, the average number of complaints registered monthly has jumped from 37,062 in 2017 to 1,12,468 in 2024, as reported to Parliament earlier this month.
The helpline is accessible in 17 languages, including Hindi, English, Kashmiri, Punjabi, Nepali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Maithili, Santhali, Bengali, Odia, Assamese, and Manipuri, enabling consumers from all regions to file their grievances through the toll-free number 1915.
