Mumbai University may be staring at result delay again, say students and teachers

The university of Mumbai that is currently conducting the summer semester examinations may be heading for uncertainty over delayed results yet again. (File)

THE UNIVERSITY of Mumbai that is currently conducting the summer semester examinations may be heading for uncertainty over delayed results yet again, said teachers and students of the institution. The exams started on April 3 along with tests held at college levels. As the third year BCom examinations ended on Wednesday, teachers complained that there was no clarity on assessment.

“This year, too, assessment will affect the academic calendar because there is complete mismanagement on the part of the university,” said Mohammed Tahir, a professor from Akbar Peerbhoy College of Commerce and Economics on Grant Road. Tahir, who is also a senate member of the university, said: “Since all exams are being held together, there will be chaos. Principals would insist on teachers finishing assessments of first year and second year papers before assessing final year papers, as new students have to be inducted. The assessment of final year papers will take a backseat. The university should have planned better.”

A commerce faculty member said: “So far, assessment has not started and we haven’t been given a schedule for it yet. There is confusion over when we are expected to be available for assessment, a situation similar to last year.” Last year, the university switched from manual assessment to an onscreen assessment process in a hurry. Marred by technical glitches, the switch led to an unprecedented delay in publishing results of lakhs of final year students. Even as the results were declared around three months after the scheduled date, several students found errors in the results.

This year, university administrators had claimed that the assessment process had been streamlined, teachers, however, rued that not much has changed. “When we assessed answersheets manually, the process would begin within three to five days of the first paper. It has now been a fortnight since the first exam was held and the university is still scanning answersheets,” said a teacher. Fear of a repeat of last year is growing as some winter semester results were delayed by (around) five months (While exams were held between November and December, some results were declared as late as last week).

The delay in publishing results of exams held as part of the winter semester has led to postponement of some exams in the summer semester. The university has already postponed the final year law exams and first and second year commerce exams would be over only by the first week of May. Students are worried that with results of the winter semester exams being delayed, despite claims of streamlining the process, there is a chance of delay this time as well.

“It has been five months since our exams were held and the university released our results last week. Now, our re-examination and final semester examinations have been pushed back, putting students at a risk. We are concerned that if the exams are postponed, the results would be delayed and will affect our careers, like it did last year,” said Aditya Jha, a final year BAF student from Nirmala Memorial Foundation College of Commerce and Science in Kandivali.

A teacher said holding the college exams and final exams simultaneously has led to an avalanche-like situation. Between April and May, the university will conduct over 465 exams for final year students across all streams — Humanities, Commerce, Science and Technology and other interdisciplinary courses. Simultaneously, 64 exams would be held for all other students in the college levels.

“Earlier, colleges could hold their own exams for first and second year students. But since last year, the university has decided to hold common exams for all students. Now that the university has taken on more than it can handle, teachers and students will suffer,” said the law faculty member. In the Law and Commerce faculty, shortage of assessors is likely to slow down the evaluation process further, as the varsity brings in working professionals — lawyers and chartered accountants — for evaluation.

Teachers who The Indian Express reached out to said they were juggling between setting question papers and invigilating at exam centres. Once the assessment starts, they will have to report for correction and moderation duty as well. “With the exams continuing till May, teachers will have to rush through evaluation before the admission season starts by the end of May. Which means, the teachers will slog and also have to give up their vacations,” said an Arts faculty members.

Over three lakh students are expected to take their exams this year. While Arjun Ghatule, the director, Board of Examination and Assessment, was unavailable for comment, board spokesperson Vinod Malale said the situation was under control. He, however, said the data on the number of answersheets scanned so far was unavailable.

“We are currently scanning answersheets and being very cautious in doing so. Before scanning, the answersheets are checked for discrepancies to avoid problems that we faced last year. Assessments should start on time,” said Malale. So far, 1.83 lakh answersheets have come in of which 5,021 have been assessed, said Malale. “We have already sent messages to teachers about the assessment schedule and official letters were issued on Wednesday,” he said.