Mumbai University's 'internal' headache for FY students

The Mumbai University Registrar claimed that they are giving flexibility to the colleges, owing to the delayed announcement

Colleges affiliated with the Mumbai University offering Arts and Commerce are now in a tizzy, given a recent decision taken by the varsity. At the start of this year's academic session, the colleges were told that the examination for the Foundation Course (FC) would be a 100-mark written test. However, last week the varsity shook things up and declared that it will now be a 75-25 examination, with 25 marks for internal assessment.

Round the corner
All colleges have already finished their semester sessions, with students looking forward to the Diwali vacation while also preparing for the exam. However, with this change, the vacation will be cut short, because students will have to start their projects as colleges are planning the internal assessment after papers are over.

"Internal assessments are generally done over a period of time, while colleges are still functioning. But now, lectures are done and students are away preparing for the exam. How can the university expect us to do the assessment?" questioned a professor of Kirti College.

'Can't assess on theory'
The registrar of the university explained that this decision has been taken because the FC subjects are practical-oriented. "It will be difficult to assess candidates only on theory. So, the academic council took the decision of changing the pattern of the question papers. But we have kept it flexible for colleges to conduct the assessment, considering the delay in announcement. They may conduct it immediately or after the exam or even during the next semester," said Dr MA Khan, registrar.

The Bombay University and Colleges Teachers Union has written to Governor Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao, as he is also the chancellor of all the universities in the state.