Go digital for paper assessment: MU V-C

The vice-chancellor of the University of Mumbai has issued an order that has asked teachers to stop correcting answer scripts manually and go for online assessment instead.

The exams started midmarch and as the university is yet to select an agency to install the facility, teachers had started marking the papers manually.

“The examination house has received orders that clearly say that all papers are to be marked digitally this year. We have no choice but to follow orders. Assessment can resume only after on-screen facilities are implemented,” said an official from the university.

In January, MU VC Sanjay Deshmukh had announced that the university would introduce on-screen assessment for all its courses. Each of the 19.5 lakh answer sheets were to be scanned and assessed on computers.

HT had reported about MU’S attempts to find more than one bidder for the project. “The final bid should be selected by April 22, and until then, all manual assessment will be stalled,” added the official.

While MU waits for the best bid to kick-off its digital assessment project, colleges are worried that this will further delay

the announcement of results.

“Any delay in assessment will lead to a delay in announcing results. Assessment will not begin till all teachers are trained, which could take weeks. What is the university planning to do with the increasing pile of answer booklets till then?” asked the principal of a south Mumbai college.

While Deshmukh could not

be reached for comment, MU’S controller of examination told HT that the university would try and avoid any delay.

“The assessment has been stopped according to orders from higher authorities and we hope to resume the process at the earliest. Digital assessment should hasten the evaluation,” said Deepak Wasave, in-charge COE.