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Chandrakant Patil orders ILS Law College to refund excess fees with 6% interest
Patil said the government would not tolerate irregularities that burden students and parents financially
Maharashtra higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil on Monday directed ILS Law College to refund excess fees collected from students along with six per cent interest, following findings of an inquiry ordered after intervention by the Bombay High Court.
Patil said the government would not tolerate irregularities that burden students and parents financially. “We have taken a serious view of the illegal and non-transparent fee collection at ILS Law College and, based on the inquiry conducted as per the directions of the Bombay High Court, it has been clearly established that students were charged without the mandatory prior approval of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) in violation of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016,” he said.
A three-member inquiry committee constituted by the higher education department this year in March found that during the academic years 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2024-25, students were charged under several unapproved fee heads. In one instance cited in the report, a student was allegedly made to pay ₹1,04,863 under 17 different categories that had not received the mandatory approval from the university authorities.
According to the inquiry report, the aided private institution collected fees from students “in a non-transparent and unauthorised manner” without obtaining prior approval from SPPU, allegedly violating Section 101(7) of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016.
Based on the findings, the Directorate of Higher Education, through the office of the Regional Deputy Director, has directed the college administration to refund the excess amount collected from the concerned student with six per cent annual interest calculated from the date of payment. The institution has also been asked to submit a compliance report to the department.
The controversy assumes significance as aided colleges in Maharashtra are required to seek prior approval from universities and regulatory authorities before introducing or revising fee components.
The minister has further directed officials of the higher and technical education department to scrutinise complaints of excess fee collection in other colleges across Maharashtra and initiate strict action wherever violations are detected.
“We have also instructed officials to examine similar complaints across the state and take strict action wherever irregularities are found, as the government remains committed to ensuring transparency and protecting the academic interests of students,” Patil said.
