Withholding students' original certificates: TSCHE reads riot act to private colleges; writes to universities

Hyderabad: Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) has barred private colleges from withholding students' original certificates.

TSCHE has issued a directive to Registrars of OU, KU, TU, MGU, SU, PU, JNTU, and JNA& FAU in this regard.

In a letter, Professor Sriram Venkatesh, Secretary of TSCHE, expressed concern over private colleges withholding certificates under the pretext of not receiving fee reimbursement from the government.

“There are significant implications of such actions on students, particularly when they require these documents for higher education admissions, job applications, and other purposes,” said Professor Venkatesh.

Prof. Sriram Venkatesh cited the UGC (Grievance Redressal of Students) Regulations 2018, stating, "Colleges are barred from withholding or refusing to return any document, including certificates of degree or diploma, deposited by students for admission purposes. This practice is unacceptable and goes against the regulations."

The directive urges universities to instruct all affiliated private colleges not to insist on tuition fee payments from students eligible for fee reimbursement. Moreover, colleges are explicitly instructed not to deny issuing original certificates based on the alleged non-receipt of fee reimbursement from the government.

Highlighting the gravity of the matter, Prof. Sriram Venkatesh stated, "Such colleges may be blacklisted and shall not be considered for fee reimbursement, which will also affect the affiliation status of these institutions."

The letter emphasizes the importance of adhering to government instructions, and any failure to comply will be met with stringent action against the erring colleges.

“The TSCHE directive aims to ensure fair practices in higher education institutions, safeguarding the rights of students and preventing undue hardships caused by the withholding of original certificates” concluded Professor Venkatesh.