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2010 Supreme(Ker) 307

High Court of Kerala
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE THOTTATHIL B.RADHAKRISHNAN
Principal, St.Joseph College
Versus
Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum & Others
WP(C).No. 33586 of 2009 (P)
Decided on : 24-05-2010

Advocates Appeared:For the Petitioner:Baby Issac Illickal, Advocate. For the Respondents:C. Dilip, Advocate.

Headnote:

Consumer Protection Act, 1986 - Section 2(d) - Whether the University is a service provider - Whether student is a consumer - Held, University could not have been sued before the C.D.R.F. by treating it as a service provider - Student also could not have been treated as consumer - There is no liability for the college also as the agent of the University in so far as it conducts the examination, to announce the results or to answer any claim for compensation by treating it as a service provider - Writ Petition Allowed

Judgment :-

1. The second respondent joined for the course of B.A.Multimedia in the petitioner college. He sat for a supplementary examination in a couple of papers of the first semester. The University, which conducts the examination, was not satisfied with the manner in which the examination was conducted in the petitioner's college. On ground that the University was not satisfied with the conduct of the examination, results were not announced. The second respondent was undergoing a course where he would have got further opportunities to write the supplementary examinations. Instead, he filed a complaint before the CDRF seeking compensation. The college has filed this writ petition challenging the jurisdiction of the CDRF to adjudicate the matter.

2. The University is a statutory body. It conducts examination in terms of its regulations. The college does not have any role in the matter of holding the examination other than to participate as the duly controlled agent of the University to conduct the examination. This is done under the control of the Controller of Examinations of the University. Obviously, the ultimate authority to supervise and conduct the examination is the University. The college acts as an agent and has no independent role in the matter. Hence, in terms of the decision rendered by the Apex Court in Bihar School Examination Board v. Suresh Prasad Sinha, (2009) 8 SCC 483, the University could not have been sued before the CDRF by treating it as a service provider. The student also could not have been treated as consumer. There is no liability for the college also as the agent of the University in so far as it conducts the examination, to announce the results or to answer any claim for compensation by treating it as a service provider.

For the aforesaid reasons, the proceedings in C.C.No.285/2009 on the file of the first respondent are declared as without jurisdiction and hence quashed. The writ petition allowed accordingly. No costs.

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