Are your complaints not addressed by your university in a time-bound manner ? Now UGC is there to help you

UGC’s new Students Grievance Redressal Regulations make it mandatory for the institution to form a Students Grievance Redressal Committee and appoint an Ombudsperson.

Aim: To provide opportunities for redressal of certain grievances of students already enrolled in any institution, as well as those seeking admission to such institutions, and a mechanism thereto.

Applicable to: They shall apply to all higher education institutions, whether established or incorporated by or under a Central Act or a State Act, and every institution recognized by the University Grants Commission under clause (f) of Section 2 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 and to all institutions deemed to be a University declared as such under Section 3 therein and to all higher education institutions affiliated to a University.

>> E-samadhan Portal link: https://samadhaan.ugc.ac.in/

UGC E Samadhan Eligibility: Eligibilities declared for this portal are

• The user must be a citizen of India.
• Users must be registered on the e-Smadhan portal in order to register complaints.

UGC E Samadhan Documents: The documents needed for Smadha documents are as follows

• Id proof.
• Mobile Number.
• Email ID

>> Grievance types:

1. admission contrary to merit determined in accordance with the declared admission policy of the institution;
2. irregularity in the process under the declared admission policy of the institution; refusal to admit in accordance with the declared admission policy of the institution;
3. publication by the institution of any information in the prospectus, which is false or misleading, and not based on facts;
4. withholding of, or refusal to return, any document in the form of certificates of degree, diploma or any other award or other document deposited by a student for the purpose of seeking admission in such institution, with a view to induce or compel such student to pay any fee or fees in respect of any course or program of study which such student does not intend to pursue;
5. demand of money in excess of that specified to be charged in the declared admission policy of the institution;
6. non-payment or delay in payment of scholarships or financial aid admissible to any student under the declared admission policy of such institution, or under the conditions, if any, prescribed by the Commission;
7. delay by the institution in the conduct of examinations, or declaration of results, beyond the schedule specified in the academic calendar of the institution, or in such calendar prescribed by the Commission;
8. delay in, or denial of, the refund of fees due to a student who withdraws admission within the time mentioned in the prospectus, subject to guidelines, if any, issued by the Commission, from time to time;
9. complaints of alleged discrimination of students from the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Women, Minorities or persons with disabilities categories;
10. harassment or victimization of a student, other than cases of harassment, which are to be proceeded against under the penal provisions of any law for the time being in force;
11. any action initiated/taken contrary to the statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations, or guidelines of the institution; and

?** STUDENT GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL COMMITTEES (SGRC)**

(i) A complaint from an aggrieved student relating to the institution shall be addressed to the Chairperson, Students’ Grievance Redressal Committee (SGRC).

(ii) Every Institution shall constitute such number of Students’ Grievance Redressal Committees (SGRC), as may be required to consider grievances of the students, with the following composition, namely:

• A Professor – Chairperson
• Four Professors/Senior Faculty Members of the Institution as Members.
• A representative from among students to be nominated on academic merit/excellence in?sports/performance in co-curricular activities-Special Invitee.

(iii) Atleast one member or the Chairperson shall be a woman and atleast one member or the Chairperson shall be from SC/ST/OBC category.

(iv) The term of the chairperson and members shall be for a period of two years.

(v) The term of the special invitee shall be one year.

(vi) The quorum for the meeting including the Chairperson, but excluding the special invitee, shall be three.

(vii) In considering the grievances before it, the SGRC shall follow principles of natural justice.

(viii) The SGRC shall send its report with recommendations, if any, to the competent authority of the institution concerned and a copy thereof to the aggrieved student, preferably within a period of 15 working days from the date of receipt of the complaint.

(ix) Any student aggrieved by the decision of the Students’ Grievance Redressal Committee may prefer an appeal to the Ombudsperson*, within a period of fifteen days from the date of receipt of such decision.

* The Ombudsperson shall be a retired Vice-Chancellor or a retired Professor (who has worked as Dean/HOD) and has 10 years’ experience as a Professor at State/Central Universities/Institutions of National Importance/Deemed to be Universities or a former District Judge.

PROCEDURE FOR REDRESSAL OF GRIEVANCES BY OMBUDSPERSONS AND STUDENT

(i) Each institution shall, within a period of three months from the date of issue of this notification (11-04-2023), have an online portal where any aggrieved student may submit an application seeking redressal of grievance.

(ii) On receipt of an online complaint, the institution shall refer the complaint to the appropriate Students’ Grievance Redressal Committee, along with its comments within 15 days of receipt of complaint on the online portal.

(iii) The Students’ Grievance Redressal Committee, as the case may be, shall fix a date for hearing the complaint which shall be communicated to the institution and the aggrieved student.

(iv) An aggrieved student may appear either in person or authorize a representative to present the case.

(v) Grievances not resolved by the Students’ Grievance Redressal Committee within the time period provided in these regulations may be referred to the Ombudsperson by the university.

(vi) Institutions shall extend co-operation to the Ombudsperson or the Student Grievance Redressal Committee(s), in early redressal of grievances.

(vii) The Ombudsperson shall, after giving reasonable opportunities of being heard to the parties concerned, on the conclusion of proceedings, pass such order, with reasons thereof, as may be deemed fit to redress the grievance and provide such relief as may be appropriate to the aggrieved student

(viii) The institution, as well as the aggrieved student, shall be provided with copies of the order under the signature of the Ombudsperson.

(ix) The institution shall comply with the recommendations of the Ombudsperson.

(x) The Ombudsperson may recommend appropriate action against the complainant, where a complaint is found to be false or frivolous.

>> CONSEQUENCES OF NON-COMPLIANCE of Guidelines:

?(a) withdrawal of declaration of fitness to receive grants under section 12B of the Act;

(b) withholding any grant allocated to the Institution;

?(c) declaring the institution ineligible for consideration for any assistance under any of the general or special assistance programs of the Commission;

(d) withdrawing / withholding / suspending the approval for offering courses through Online/ODL mode;

(e) recommend to the affiliating University for withdrawal of affiliation, in case of a college;

(f) take such action as it may deem necessary, appropriate and fit, in case of an institution deemed to be University;

(g) recommend to the Central Government, if required, for withdrawal of declaration as institution deemed to be a University, in case of an institution deemed to be University;

(h) recommend to the State Government to take necessary and appropriate action, in case of a University established or incorporated under a State Act;

>> Further details may be cheeked at https://www.ugc.gov.in/pdfnews/4675881_Regulation.pdf

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