MU gets new VC at crucial stage

The new Vice-Chancellor of Mumbai University (MU) Suhas Pednekar, appointed by the Maharashtra Governor and MU Chancellor Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Friday, will have to manage a large number of responsibilities. Pednekar has been serving as Principal of Ramnarain Ruia College, Dadar, and has now been appointed as VC of MU for the next five years. Ruia College recently achieved autonomy and Pednekar has been a guide to 15 PhD and 10 postgraduate students. He has 43 research papers and one patent.

Five candidates were shortlisted for the post of VC by a committee headed by space scientist K Kasturirangan, principal secretary Bhushan Gagrani and Shyam Lal Soni director of National Institute of Technology (NIT), Uttarakhand.

University officials claim that Pednekar has been appointed at a crucial phase as the summer semester examinations, which includes final year examinations, are going on. Results of these summer examinations were delayed last year due to several errors and glitches in online assessment through the OnScreen Marking (OSM) system, which was introduced for the first time by the then VC Sanjay Deshmukh. Several errors were witnessed in mark sheets and students had to wait for over three months for their results. This mess led to sacking of Deshmukh from the post of VC by the governor. Pednekar now succeeds Deshmukh at this crucial stage where the same OSM system is being used for online assessment of ongoing summer semester examinations.

Students and teachers expressed concern stating that Pednekar has been appointed midway as examinations are already going on. A teacher said, “We hope the new VC takes charge of the examination and assessment process immediately as assessment has already begun. The VC is responsible for overlooking the entire process and declaring results on time.” While, a student said, “We do not want any kind of error in our results. No matter who the new VC is.”