Mumbai university tells HC it is trying to declare results by Sep 19

Mumbai: Having missed the initial deadline by over a month and six extensions later, the Mumbai University told the Bombay High Court on Wednesday that it was "trying" to declare all the results and deliver mark sheets by September 19.

The declaration of results of the examinations conducted by the varsity has been inordinately delayed this year owing to snags in the on-screen assessment system where answer sheets are scanned and then checked on computer to prevent tampering.

The university's counsel Rui Rodrigues blamed holidays for Bakrid and Ganpati festivals for the present delay. "Several teaching staff remained unavailable for assessment work due to holidays," he said.
A bench of justices Anoop V Mohta and Bharati Dangre, however, said at a time of "emergency" like this, the university cannot cite unavailability of staff as a reason.

Rodrigues argued that one must remember that the work was not being done by "robots", but it was "ultimately being delivered by humans".

"However, we have completed most of the work and are trying to declare all the results for regular undergraduate courses by September 19. The results for courses offered through distance learning will take some more time," he said.

The court then directed the state's Common Entrance Test (CET) cell to extend its deadline for applying to the three-year postgraduate law course to September 22.

The extension was "essential for such helpless students, who had made it to the merit list of the law CET, but were unable to secure admissions to colleges of their choice in the absence of undergraduate mark sheets," the judges said.

The bench also directed the university to make a written submission on the likely date of completion of assessment, declaration of results and delivery of mark sheets to all students.

The directions came after advocate Rodrigues told the court that of the 477 examinations conducted for various regular undergraduate courses by the university, the results of 464 have been declared so far.

A major chuck of pending results belonged to commerce and banking and insurance courses, he said.

Results of 5,932 students of banking and insurance are likely to be declared by this evening, he said, adding that the results of 8,132 students of commerce, accounts and finance courses are likely to be out by September 13.

Those who live in Mumbai can get their mark sheets within two days of declaration of results. However, those who live outside the city will get mark sheets by September 19, Rodrigues said.

The HC has been hearing a bunch of petitions filed by students affected by the delay, along with a petition by a teachers' association blaming the varsity's on-screen assessment system for the delay.