Two-day residential workshop for Mumbai University staff called off

The image has been used for representational purposes only

A two-day residential workshop for Mumbai University staff on administration skills jointly organised by varsity along with Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini (RMP) was called off abruptly after just one session on Saturday morning. While participants were given technical glitch as a reason, it has started a new political controversy in varsity as Students organisations such as Yuva Sena and National Students Union of India (NSUI) have strongly opposed the workshop in collaboration with RMP which is RSS think-tank. The students'' organisations have also demanded the resignation of Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University Dr Suhas Pednekar for collaborating with RMP even as it does not have any expertise in administrative skills training or education acts which were the objectives of the workshop.

The workshop was targetted at University's administration staff at assistant/deputy registrar or equivalent levels for training in administrative skills. The objectives included various sectors such as learning to write letters in government language, understanding the law and regulations governing university, general administrative and interpersonal communication skills among all. It was organised in RMP's campus in Uttan village in Bhayandar for a batch of 30 officers.

"The workshop started on Saturday as scheduled however at around 11.30 am after the first session, we were told that it has been cancelled due to some technical issues and that we have to return. We were confused as there was no way to determine if the reasons given by organisers were right or the decision was due to the strong opposition due to students wings of different political parties," shared an official on condition of anonymity.

Nikhil Kamble from NSUI, which recently also opposed the appointment of De. Yogesh Soman on the position of director of Academy of Theatre Arts at Mumbai University, said, "MU's inclinations toward saffronisation is becoming evident. Already there have been people of RSS inclinations appointed at important positions in the university. Now they are also seen collaborating with an organisation run by an RSS think tank for training in areas that the said organisation has no expertise in." NSUI demands strict inquiry in the case while adding that VC of MU should resign for arranging or allowing such collaborations.

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