Mumbai University ropes in ed-tech firm to make AI-powered ‘job skills test’ must for UG, PG students

The University of Mumbai (MU) has roped in a private ed-tech company to run an automated programme to test and train students across its departments and affiliated colleges in “job-aligned” skills, such as problem-solving, analytical reasoning, communication, decision-making and narrative thinking.

As part of the Progressive Learning Assessment Test (PLAT), designed by Thane-based Orage Digital, the students will undergo biannual tests and will be required to perform daily “micro-tasks” – small activities – aimed at enhancing their employability. The tests, which will be administered through an “Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered” digital platform, will be conducted parallel to the varsity’s existing examination and assessment system.

In December last year, MU had signed an agreement with the ed-tech company to make PLAT a “compulsory” component of its curriculum and ensure participation of all of its 8-lakh undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students. A circular was issued to all varsity-affiliated institutions and academic departments last month about implementing the programme in the upcoming academic year 2026-27.

The programme comes in the backdrop of the National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020 laying emphasis on developing “21st century capacities” and soft skills among learners while specialising in their fields of study. The recent India Skills Report 2026 points out that the national employability level is still lagging at 56.35%, even as it has improved considerably in the last few years.

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Mumbai University: PLAT for job-skills training

According to Amit Shah, founder CEO of Orage Digital, PLAT is designed to map students’ capabilities and upgrade them in skills which are aligned with their curricula but not necessarily covered in their syllabi. The company has identified five broad areas of intervention, namely Thinking Power, Human Power, Change Power, Execution Power and Value-Creation Power, encompassing diverse skillsets such as foundational cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence, growth mindset, productivity and entrepreneurship.

While the programme is focused on a common set of skillsets, the test questions and the tasks assigned to the students are tailored according to their own progress. The students’ performance can be tracked by their teachers and varsity officials, enabling targeted intervention.

“While organisations such as UGC [University Grants Commission], NAAC [National Accreditation and Assessment Council], WEF [World Economic Forum] and QS [Quacquarelli Symonds] have created academic frameworks, they are designed to judge the students at programme level. Higher education is increasingly being asked to think in terms of outcomes. PLAT helps students through an outcome-based approach advocated by NEP. It provides a more structured view of their readiness,” said Shah.

He also asserted that, with the disruption brought by AI, soft skills will assume greater significance in workplaces. “All the hard skills, such as coding, are going to be automated. What will not be automated is learning agility, problem-solving and emotional intelligence,” he said.

While the firm didn’t share any of its tests and tasks, Shah provided an example activity: writing a letter to the municipal corporation to complain about unattended garbage near a college. A specimen question included in the firm’s literature asks students to consider a scenario where a team project misses its deadline owing to a member consistently failing to perform their tasks. The students are then asked to pick their “best action”, choosing from options ranging from “escalate immediately” to “wait for it to resolve”.

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MU colleges implementing PLAT

The programme has already been underway at some of the colleges in Mumbai. Shah claims that they have recorded an 18% improvement in placements and 26% improvement in the students’ skills. “The students were made aware of their situation,” he said.

Marzaban Kotwal, vice principal (science) at St. Xavier’s College, which has deployed PLAT since the last couple of years, attested to the programme’s usefulness. The college, however, found it difficult to convince the students to partake in it, as it didn’t carry any scores or grades.

“The students’ performance in these tests should be reflected somewhere – either in their marksheets or degree certificates, so that they can show it during placements,” he said.

MU, in its communication to colleges, did mention that “skill scorecards” will be issued to the students under the programme. While the company is offering its services free of any cost to either the university or students, it’s yet to decide whether any charges will be levied in the subsequent years.