Fees paid, seats not confirmed: Greater Noida students hold protest

A group of students gathered outside GL Bajaj Institute in Knowledge Park 2, Greater Noida, on Tuesday to protest alleged irregularities in the admission process and delays in confirmation of seats despite payment of fees and attending classes for several days

A group of students gathered outside GL Bajaj Institute in Knowledge Park 2, Greater Noida, on Tuesday to protest alleged irregularities in the admission process and delays in confirmation of seats despite payment of fees and attending classes for several days. The institute said the students’ concerns would be “resolved by September 27”.

Following the protest, around 70 students filed a complaint with Knowledge Park police. No case has been registered in connection with the complaint so far, police said. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Following the protest, around 70 students filed a complaint with Knowledge Park police, which HT has seen. No case has been registered in connection with the complaint so far, police said.

The students, primarily enrolled in the MBA programme, alleged they were informed three days ago that their admissions had not been confirmed as the institute did not have enough seats. They alleged that they were given the option of withdrawing their admission and seeking a refund, transferring to the post graduate diploma in management (PGDM) programme, or taking admission at the institute’s Mathura campus.

The students said they had paid ₹1.72 lakh as the annual fee and that classes began on September 14. They alleged that although they had started attending classes, they had not been issued confirmation of their seats or identity cards.

In a statement on Wednesday, the institute said: “We are sorting out the issue by the 27th of this month. The issue will be sorted out. The matter has taken a wrong turn and has been taken up with the management.” Institute officials declined to comment further.

“They took the fee for the entire year, and yet they did not give us the seat. There was no identity card. They said if we withdrew, they would give us a refund or we could transfer to the Mathura campus. Classes are ongoing and began on September 14, but we have no identity cards. We were told that they had admitted more students than the number of available seats,” a 24-year-old student, requesting anonymity, said.

The student alleged the option to move to the Mathura campus or PGDM programme was an attempt to shift students away from the course they had selected.

The complaint submitted to police stated: “Even after depositing the fees, I have not yet received the seat allotment/confirmation from the college department.” Around 70 students signed the complaint, alleging they were facing financial and mental distress.

Some students told HT their admissions were confirmed on Wednesday following the protest, while others were still awaiting confirmation. “Just today (Wednesday), my admission is confirmed, however I know there are students who are still struggling,” an MBA student, requesting anonymity, said.