It is noteworthy that, Mumbai University (MU) is at the verge of transforming itself as it has envisaged to affiliate 15 more colleges by 2025–26. This initiative favours skill based education which corresponds with the current global trends of producing employable youth.
These projected institutions will address various needs including; 13 of them will be dedicated to skill-specific training, one will continue with traditional courses, another one will be just a conventional college and lastly, there would be an applied education institution.
These colleges are scattered across several districts in Maharashtra, which include Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and Palghar. Additionally, Bhiwandi is set to host a typical college while Andheri will have an applied educational facility.
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However, though the focus on skills development is laudable, concerns were raised during the university’s senate meeting regarding examination administration. Students have faced problems such as delays in issuing mark sheets and timetable besides encountering hall tickets or errors in question papers and this was discussed by university senate member Sakharam Dakhore who suggested that hall ticket distribution should begin at least ten days before each examination. The admissions office said they knew these issues and would look into them further.
Also, there was another matter of discussion, namely the late release of results. As soon as the exams for the fourth semester kicked off, there was no sign of the MA in English semester three results. These delays also affected other subjects, such as psychology, computer science, and marks improvement tests. The university promised the Senate that this problem would be sorted out immediately.
Additionally, this meeting raised a possible incongruity with the New Education Policy (NEP). Some apprehensions were raised by Professors Jagannath Khembhav and Hanmantrao Sutar that MU’s new credit system did away with environmental studies as an optional subject.
They maintained that Environmental Studies had been made mandatory by University Grants Commission (UGC) due to Supreme Court ruling. On his part, Professor Ravindra Kulkarni had already assured the Senate that necessary changes should be made to make environmental studies a must-do course in our university.
The University of Mumbai’s expansion plans, in conclusion, give priority to skill-based education that aims at linking academia with employability. This move has the capacity to ensure that once graduates are done with their studies, they can easily dive into the ever dynamic job market with ease.
Nevertheless, it is paramount to address exam administration issues and ensure proper synchronization with NEP for efficient implementation. A simplified examination system and a national guideline compliant credit system will facilitate easy transition and maximize the advantages of students who wish to venture into employment.