MU faculty checks papers manually despite V-C’S order

Despite clear orders from the University of Mumbai vice-chancellor to assess answer sheets digitally, some departments have started checking them manusally.

While the university is looking for an agency that can install the equipment needed to assess papers digitally, the VC had ordered all manual assessments to be halted this semester.

“Zeroing in on an agency to convert to the digital platform will take a while. Even if MU chooses an agency by this week, it’ll take at least another week to train teachers. If we stall assessments till May, results will not be out before the end of June,” said a senior professor of a South Mumbai college. Assessment of Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) papers has already begun in some centres.

MU wants the teachers to assess the papers digitally at the new examination house in MU’S Kalina campus.

Since the building is not ready, the varsity has decided to select some engineering col leges where teachers could assess papers digitally. For BMM papers alone, 12 colleges across the city have been selected as centres and manua assessment has been going on at some of them for three days.

“We have very few teachers correcting papers because many are busy with supervision for first year exams,” said Anju Kapoor, principal of UPG Col lege, Vile Parle.

MU had floated a third tender with relaxed norms in Apri with the hope of finding more bidders. The closing date for the bid is April 21 and authorities at MU hope to finalise an agency by April 22.

Digital assessments will be carried out on the computer screen. The answer scripts will be scanned on a special soft ware, and teachers will mark them online.

“Our responsibility is to announce results within 45 days of the examination and so we started assessing papers . But to expect such work in 20 days is next to impossible,” said a mem ber from the BMM faculty.