After MU refuses to postpone exams, law students seek extended library hours

Umesh Yadav and Rehan Momin

The LLM students of Mumbai University are caught in a tight spot, as not only has the varsity refused to postpone the Law examination scheduled to start on January 17, it also has no intentions of extending the library timings to help the students make up for the lost time and prepare for the exam. After attending their lectures, students fail to refer to books and study at the library because it closes at the usual time of 5 pm. However, a letter in this regard has been submitted to the authorities concerned, so that the library is kept open till 9 pm.

Not enough time
According to sources, following the last round of admission that opened in the last week of December, the LLM courses started really late this year. The reason behind it was the varsity's delay in declaring the results. However, in the midst of all this confusion, students were shocked when MU declared that the Law examination would start from January 17. While their requests to postpone the examination have fallen on deaf ears, the LLM students feel that the only option left was to study at the library with the help of reference books and research journals till late, to prepare for the examination.

"A signature drive was held in this regard and all LLM students of the varsity had shown their support. The course is such that we cannot only study one textbook and a couple of notes to prepare for it. We need to refer to different types of books at the library, as the curriculum is research-based," said Umesh Yadav, a student. Another student Rehan Momin, who took admission towards the end of November, is extremely worried about how he would prepare for the exam in such less time.

Yet to decide
Speaking to mid-day, Dr Rashmi Oza, head of the Department of Law at MU, who has forwarded the students' demand to the authorities concerned, said, "I understand the situation of the students. The library plays a very important role in preparing for the LLM examination. The varsity has to take a decision in this regard."

When contacted, Dinesh Kamble, registrar, MU, said, "We will certainly look into the matter. In order to understand the feasibility of extending the library hours, we need to know the number of students who will actually avail the facility. If the number is less, then we can make some temporary arrangements and allow students to issue books from the library for a day or two."

Jan 7
Day when the LLM exam was scheduled to start

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, current affairs from Mumbai, local news, crime news and breaking headlines here

Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go