Chandigarh: Panjab University here has been asked by the consumer forum to refund fees of Rs.154,000 to a management student, who opted out of the course in 2007 after he found the university's campus in Ludhiana not up to the mark.

The district consumer disputes redressal forum on Saturday directed the university to refund the amount to Ankit Gupta, who had enrolled in the MBA course in 2007, but opted out within a few months.

Ankit, a Chandigarh resident, got admission in the MBA course at the university's regional centre in Ludhiana, around 100 km from here in July 2007.

"At the time of admission, the authorities promised that the Ludhiana centre was at par with the premier University Business School (UBS) at Panjab University's Chandigarh campus and that there would be a joint placement drive. But after attending classes for two months, I found that there was nothing as promised to us," Ankit told sources on Sunday.

He said the centre in Ludhiana operated from only two rooms, there was no library and there were only three faculty members for seven courses.

"I opted out of the course in September 2007 and applied for a refund of my fees that was Rs.154,000. In March 2008, I got a letter from Panjab University saying that I was not entitled for a fees refund under University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines. I then decided to approach the consumer forum," said Ankit.

In the argument, counsel for Panjab University said Ankit was not entitled for a fee refund as the seat vacated by him could not be filled.

But the forum, after hearing all the arguments, gave a clean chit to Ankit and directed the university to pay him the entire fee amount of Rs.154,000 along with Rs.5,000 as cost of the litigation proceedings. IANS