Ritesh Devkota of Rajbiraj has been moving from pillar to post for the past one year demanding the certificate of the course he studied at Holmes Institute in Australia.

Devkota, who had flown to Australia to study a two-year Diploma in Hospitality Management and Commercial Cookery in 2008, returned in August, 2011 without the certificate of commercial cookery. “Instead of certifying me for the course I had studied, the institute told me to accept the certificate of the course which I did not study. My subject was Australian cuisine,” complained Devkota talking to this daily.

He further said, “The college had failed to include some subjects in the commercial cookery course despite the Australian government’s directives. “Therefore, the college could not award me the certificate for the course I was enrolled in,” added Devkota.

“When I asked for my certificate, the institute asked me to study the missed subjects, which I denied,” said Devkota.

In a response to Devkota’s application to visiting Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard in India, the Delhi High Commission of the Australian government conceded in October this year that the college concerned had not given him the original certificate of the commercial cookery course that he studied.

Devkota said he made all efforts by visiting the Education Board in Australia, contacted Nepali Embassy in Australia and other government agencies, but to no avail. “Like me, there were many students, including Indians, who switched to other subjects. But I refused to make a switch, convinced that the college had played foul,” added Devkota.

“We spent about two million rupees on his studies, in the hope of ensuring him a bright future. All went in vain,” complained Roshan Upreti, Devkota’s brother-in-law. He was in the right, therefore Australian immigration extended his visa twice and also booked his tickets back home, reasoned Upreti.

Vice-Chairman of Educational Consultancy Association of Nepal, Prakash Pandey, pledged to support Devkota by leading a legal battle against the college. He said the Australian institution is at fault since it did not inform him about the revised course.

source: The Himalayan Times, 5 Jan 2013