National Consumer Helpline facilitates Rs 1 cr refund to coaching students

The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) has facilitated a refund of Rs 1 crore in enrolment fees to students and aspirants of various competitive exams, including UPSC Civil Services and IIT entrance, the government said on Sunday. The refunds were processed at a pre-litigation stage following intervention by the Consumer Affairs Ministry after students from across the country raised grievances against coaching centres offering classes for various competitive exams. Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said, "This action reaffirms our commitment to ensure that coaching institutions adhere to fair practices and honour the rights of consumers." The NCH initiated a drive to resolve these grievances on a mission-mode after receiving numerous complaints regarding unfair practices by coaching centres, particularly their refusal to refund enrolment fees, an official statement said. NCH received 16,276 grievances from students in 2023-2024, up from 5,351 in 2022-2023 and 4,815 in 2021-2022.