Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law demands fee, students to move court

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 8

Students of the undergraduate BA LLB (Hons) course at Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) here have decided to move court after the university directed them to submit pending dues before the commencement of examinations.

Most students have not submitted fee since May last year, when they approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court demanding a concession due to economic crises caused by the pandemic. The case is sub judice. The students are apprehensive they may have to pay the entire fee, amounting Rs 2 lakh, in 13 days.

The university has announced open-book end-term online exams from July 1. The students are required to clear their dues on or before June 20. The students, who have been demanding concession on the ground that the university had not incurred expenditure as the campus remained shut, called the decision arbitrary.

“They are directing students to submit the fee in 13 days. They are forcing us to pay up by making it a precondition for the exams. We will move court tomorrow,” said a student associated with the matter.

The students added the university had already provided relief to LLM students.

Registrar Dr Naresh Vats said: “We have written to the Secretary, Higher Education, seeking approval to hold the exams.” Regarding the submission of fee, he said: “We have held a number of meetings with students and offered to give them a concession. Some agreements have been reached. Meanwhile, fee submission will be subject to the court ruling and as such, the university will reimburse the amount later, if needed.”

He added the university had already asked students to write to the administration if they faced difficulty in submitting the fee.