FINAL-YR EXAMS CANCELLED: CITY COLLEGES SEEK MORE CLARITY

A day after chief minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that all final-year students will be promoted based on their performance in previous semesters, colleges and students both are confused. While some are unsure about how this will affect their future higher education plans, colleges too, are unsure about how the decision will be applied in the coming weeks.

“The government or university needs to clarify how this will affect students with a backlog of papers from previous semesters which they need to clear to graduate. We are also unsure if the decision is applicable to post-graduation students as well,” said a senior professor from a south Mumbai college.

Students of autonomous institutes, some of which already conducted exams for two or more papers of the final semester, are also in confusion. “How will the college grade us? We’ve already appeared for two papers for the current semester. With so many new decisions coming from the government regarding the status of exams and promotion of students, we are confused about our status,” said a student.

Students of Mithibai Autonomous College, Vile Parle, are also unsure about the situation. Not only have students objected to the institute’s decision last year to introduce a new grading formula which many said lowered their scores, more than a hundred final-year students of the institute were also debarred by the administration for defaulting on attendance.

“We had taken this matter to court but the court upheld the institute’s decision. As the Union and state governments said all students have to be promoted regardless of attendance, we are waiting to hear from the institute about our status,” said a student. Principal Rajpal Hande was not available for comment.