COIMBATORE: A 19-year-old boy, who had dropped out of a self-financing engineering college here due to abject poverty, has approached Chief Justice M Y Eqbal of the Madras High Court to get back his original Class XII marksheet and certificates retained by the college.The institution in question — the Ranganthan Engineering College — is owned by a trust administered by the family members of Murugesan, the vice-chancellor of the Anna University of Technology (Madurai).In a letter written to the Chief Justice explaining his plight, the boy, Adharshan, hailing from a village near Thondamuthur here, said, “I am a poor student. During 2010-11, I had joined the Ranganathan Engineering College and was asked to pay Rs 84,750 as fees.”While he paid Rs 21,830 in two instalments, he discontinued the course in November last year after his grandmother suffered a heart attack and his family ended up spending all its savings on her medical expenses. Adharshan’s father, Mohan, runs a small tea shop in his village, Karamarathur, but has not been able to work regularly due to typhoid.“This academic year (2011-12), I asked for my certificates hoping to continue my education at an arts and science college. But, the Ranganthan Engineering College authorities have refused to return them until I pay Rs 65,000,” Adharsan said. He requested the CJ to intervene in the matter and help him get back his certificates. Eqbal forwarded the letter to the Coimbatore District Legal Services Authority (CDLSA), which is now working on finding an amicable solution to the issue. Earlier this month, the CDLSA had issued notice to the college authorities directing them to appear before it.“We held a meeting with the boy’s parents and the college management. After considering the economic status of the family, the college has agreed to return the certificates if he pays Rs 20,000 instead of Rs 65,000. But, the boy’s family is unable to raise this amount,” CDLSA secretary G Mahizhenthi said.“It will be good if some philanthropist comes forward to sponsor the boy’s engineering education,” he suggested.Explaining the institution’s position, college administration officer Sivakumar said it is the usual norm at engineering colleges to demand the first semester fees if a student discontinues, as the seat falls vacant for the next four years.
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