Foreign Nationals: Milking Cows??

Prologue: The fee structure at NLSIU for foreign nationals being on the higher range, I ask for and receive permission to pay my fees in three instalments. Some days before the exam in the third trimester, a notice calls out some numbers in class of which, yours truly, the author is one.
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Scene: Registrar’s Office, NLSIU.
In a spacious room sits the Registrar, looking over the list. “ID” he asks gruffly. I see Padma maam smiling in the background.
“1656, Sir.”
“528 Rupees”
By then , I had realised that this notice was due to remaining dues owed to the college.
“But Sir, I have paid all of my dues. In fact the problem is that the administration has suddenly changed the rules regarding the rate of exchange.” I strive further to explain my situation. “ Sir, I had paid my fees in 3 instalments and it was agreed that the rate of exchange would be as according to July 1, 2009 for the academic year July, 09- June, 10. Hence, tweaking with the rates in between the academic year would be a retrospective application. Hence sir, I think this is wrong Sir.”
“What, how is this wrong? We are giving you the facility to pay in instalments. In fact we should be allowed to take interest from you. Who are you to use legal arguments?” The registrar started fuming with rage.

“If I may, Sir, please”, I tried to cut in with whatever little knowledge I had learnt from the university selection of the negotiation rounds, but he was hell bent on continuing. I still managed to talk about how the Finance Officer had agreed to my arguments, but I don’t think I got through to him.
“We will not allow you such instalment facilities from next year. Then we shall see.”
“Ah, yes,” I thought. “Paying twice the amount of Indian students was already a burden coupled with its exchange into Nepali currency and that too all of it to be paid at once. I knew my parents could not pay all of it at once. So I had no option but to keep quiet and listen to his rampage.
Suddenly, his eyes went to my shorts. It’s rare that i wear shorts to class but the increasing heat coupled with my increasing mass makes it all the more necessary to wear them.
“What are these? And what is with this getup? From now on, i do not want to see you in the academic block with shorts on.” I kept on listening to him going on about shorts and decency for a while.
Then, he looked at me and asked, “So?”
“So, what?” I wanted to say but decided the better option would be to keep quiet.
He asked again, “Are you going to pay or not?”
As if I had an option. Of course I was going to pay, especially with the threat of not allowing me any concessions the next year and the psychosis of not alienating this powerful God of law school.
“Yes, I will pay, SIR”
I still see Padma Maam smiling in the background.
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Epilogue:
I go around the academic block and meet some other foreign national students who have been asked to pay an extra amount to have their dues cleared, despite paying the entire amount at the starting of the year. I do not understand how this is possible, how you can change your policy in the middle of the academic year to affect something that has already been done. And to talk of policy, there is no policy, there is nothing written down, ther are no rules. It all depends upon the whims and fancies of the people in authority who somehow cannot stand a student replying back to them, no matter how correct the other person might be.
It seems correct now why people say that in law school, you need to start kissing asses. If this is supposed to be where we learn what the law is, what justice is, do we not deserve to see it in application? It is funny how we strive for democracy in the State and end up kowtowing to a hierarchical whimsical system in our daily lives.