The management council on Thursday lambasted the University of Mumbai for harassing students seeking admission to the first year of degree college by introducing the online registration process. It alleged that the process was being implemented in a haphazard manner, as a result of which admissions are on till July 15. Management council members have alleged that the University went ahead with the online registration process without proper preparations because it had some “ulterior motive”.
“Colleges have been asked to conduct admissions to degree colleges only after students have registered online. This has caused a lot of inconvenience to the students, as many have not been able to register online for various reasons like website problems, as well as other technical glitches,” said a management council member.
The member alleged that there was some ulterior motive of the University in implementing the scheme. The University officials, however, defended the process and said that there was no ulterior motive, and that on the contrary, the process helped in streamlining the student database. No major decision was taken in the meeting though, as vice-chancellor Dr Rajan Welukar, who is also chairman of the MC, was not present.
According to a management council member, the meeting also revolved around other major issues, including teachers’ grievances and implementation of the credit-based system. “One of the first issues that was discussed in the meeting was the passing of the credit-based system for postgraduate students too. There were other issues regarding teachers’ grievances not being addressed properly, as well as the University not having a proper methodology to address the teachers’ woes. The most important amongst them was the approval of teachers hired before 2000,” said the management council member.
However, the issue that indicated the University’s stand towards errant colleges was pertaining to two colleges that have been found to flout rules.
“Lord’s College and Public Night College have been found guilty of not conforming with the infrastructural and academic norms. It will now be forwarded to the government to initiate the process of appointing an administrator for both the colleges,” said Dr Siddeshwar Gadade, management council member.