MU protests: 5,000 hit after failing in over 5 papers; students urge state education minister to intervene

NEW DELHI: Around 100 University of Mumbai (MU) students staged a protest against being held back for failing in over five papers in the penultimate academic year. Around 5,000 students are said to be affected.

A MU student, Priyanka Barai, has written to the state education minister Chandrakant Dada Patil, seeking intervention in the matter and requesting an additional examination attempt.

“We seek your support in granting us an additional chance and implementing the 'carry-on' policy to address the discrepancies we have faced due to certain unfair academic regulations,” Barai wrote in her letter to Patil.

MU protest: Key issues

Barai’s letter, which urged immediate action from the minister, throws light on several topics:

Shortened Academic Year: Completion of the first academic year in six months has forced students to undertake two semesters within a short span of time. This transition created pressure for first years as semester one results were released just 10 days before the commencement of semester two, severely impacting academic performance.

Inconsistency in Syllabus: Students were given reduced syllabus in first semester, and a comprehensive syllabus for KT exams. This left students confused.

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Carry-On Policy in Other Universities Across Maharashtra: Except Mumbai University, all other universities across Maharashtra have implemented the carry-on policy, which allows students to continue their academic journey without disruption.

Carry-On Policy for Mumbai University: Presently, students are unable to progress in their academic journey due to the KT exams and by implementing the carry-on policy, students will have a fair opportunity to continue their education and address the challenges.

Barai concluded the letter by also demanding immediate action on two points – additional opportunities for affected students to clear the exams and immediate implementation of the carry-on policy for Mumbai University.