TGDTE issues stark warning to colleges withholding students’ certificates

Hyderabad: The Telangana Department of Technical Education (TGDTE) has issued a directive to all technical and higher educational institutions, emphasizing that withholding original certificates is illegal and could lead to severe repercussions, including blacklisting of institutions. The directive follows a complaint from Arempala Keerthi, a B.Tech EEE student at CVR College of Engineering in Hyderabad. Her original academic certificates were allegedly withheld by the college despite her successful completion of studies. The Department responded by instructing the Principal of CVR College to release all of Keerthi’s original documents without delay. The department emphasized the importance of students accessing their credentials to pursue further education or job opportunities.

The directions referred to the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), clarifying its policy in a circular dated February 2021. The policy points out that all AICTE-approved institutions are barred from retaining students’ original certificates post-verification, labeling such practices as “illegal and unethical.” The AICTE warned that it would take “stringent action” against any institution found violating this rule.

Adding a letter dated August 2024 from the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) to all affiliated universities reiterates these concerns. The TGCHE had observed that some private colleges were refusing to return certificates, citing non-payment of tuition fees due to pending government fee reimbursement. The Council deemed this practice as unhealthy and in violation of the UGC (Grievance Redressal of Students) Regulations 2018, which clearly prohibit colleges from withholding or refusing to return any documents submitted for admission purposes.

The TGCHE has instructed universities to ensure affiliated private colleges do not demand tuition fee payments from students eligible for fee reimbursement before releasing their original documents. Institutions that ignore these directives risk being blacklisted and may lose their eligibility for fee reimbursement and future affiliation, a measure designed to enforce compliance effectively.