Mumbai University finally takes action after governor’s intervention

MU authorities claimed that Sachin Adkar failed to clear the exam which is why his results have been withheld. File pic

The Maharashtra governor has intervened in the matter of a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) law student over the prolonged withholding of his results by the Mumbai University (MU). The governor's office has instructed the university to conduct a thorough review and furnish a "factual report" on the issue.

Facing a state of uncertainty, Sachin Adkar - the 44-year-old MPhil law student - sought intervention from the governor of Maharashtra, who serves as the chancellor of all state universities. mid-day published a report in this regard on February 13.

In a letter dated February 15, addressed to MU, Vice-Chancellor and Under Secretary to the governor, Vikas Kulkarni acknowledged receiving a complaint and urged the university to provide a factual report within 15 days for review by the governor. Following the directive from the governor's office, the MU administration summoned Adkar to the law department on February 24.

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However, due to the unfortunate demise of his father on February 21, Adkar communicated his inability to attend the meeting to the authorities. Expressing his hope for clarity and access to his marks, Adkar said, "I want a copy of my answer papers for re-evaluation. Even if I have failed like they claim, which I think is unlikely, I need to see my papers and the marks I scored."

Adkar found himself embroiled in a peculiar dispute with the university administration concerning his mark sheet and results, two years after sitting for his MPhil theory exam in law in July 2022. Despite his efforts, the university has not only withheld his results, citing a failure to clear the exam, but has also denied him access to his answer papers, thereby impeding his ability to request a re-evaluation.

Out of the seven students enrolled for MPhil in law, only four, including Adkar, appeared for the theory exam. However, when the results were announced, only outcomes for two students were disclosed. Upon inquiry, the department officials informed Adkar that his results were likely withheld due to a presumed failure.

Adkar's concerns are compounded by the fact that he belongs to the last batch of MPhil students, as the University Grants Commission (UGC) discontinued the MPhil degree in December 2023, advising students against seeking admission to the programme owing to its lack of recognition.

Frustrated by "vague and illogical" responses from the MU administration, Adkar filed a Right to Information (RTI) query. However, the department's responses - dated September and November 2022 - reiterated that his results could not be disclosed as he had failed the exam, further denying him access to his scores or answer papers.