66-YR-OLD GETS PhD AFTER 5-YEAR FIGHT

A consumer forum helped a 66-year-old man get his PhD degree certificate after a five-year struggle.

Mr Satyanarayan Raju began his post-doctoral studies at the CMJ University of Meghalaya, via the Shivani College of IT and Management in Dilsukhnagar, in 2009. When he completed his course in 2012, he was only given a provisional degree certificate and was told that the university was unable to give him the actual certificate because it was in the midst of a legal tussle. Despite him having paid `1.2 lakh, he did not receive either his documents or his thesis.

In 2016, Mr Raju learnt that the legal complications had been resolved. He then approached the college in Dilsukhnagar again, requesting that he be given his degree certificate. When the college demanded another `1.2 lakh from him, he decided to approach the consumer court in Nizamabad.

Upon receiving a notice from the forum, the college returned all the relevant documents to the complainant, except for his PhD degree and his thesis, which remained with the university.

The forum took note of a deficiency in service on the part of the CMJ University, the authorities had irresponsibly demanded more money from a scholar despite him having made all payments at the time of admission. It said, “As per the judgment of the NCDRC, New Delhi 2013 (1) CPR 133(NC), the Registrar of Manipal Vs Dr Sushith, the original degree certificate cannot be withheld from the scholar.”

The Nizamabad district consumer redressal forum ordered the university to issue Mr Raju’s certificate and thesis to him within 30 days and to pay him `1,000 as compensation.