HC seeks reply from Mumbai varsity on new assessment system

The Bombay High Court today directed the Mumbai University to file its reposnse within two weeks on a petition by a teachers' association challenging the new marking system for assessing papers online.
The Bombay University and College Teachers' Union (BUCTU) had earlier this week approached the HC highlighting reasons for the inordinate delay in declaring results of several undergraduate courses.
The plea also raised concerns over the manner in which the On-Screen-Marking (OSM) system was implemented by the University.
A division bench of Justice B R Gavai today asked the varsity to file its affidavit within two weeks but remarked, "You (teachers and University) should have prepared in advance to meet the deadline. This is like demonetisation."

The BUCTU in its plea said that the system was introduced without providing the essential infrastructure like computers and internet connections.
"The respondents (Mumbai University and other authorities) implemented the OSM system without making available infrastructure required for it which led to a delay in declaring of results, affecting thousands of students and their future career," the petition contended.

It further added that the University decided in February this year to assess answer papers of final year Arts, Commerce, Science and Law faculties by the OSM system.
In April, the University awarded contract to two companies to provide infrastructure, the petition said, adding that due to this, the assessment of answer papers could not start till the month of May.

"The OSM system majorly depends on a good internet connection and computers of decent specifications both of which are in scarcity coupled with poor administration, registration and overseeing of the entire system by the authorities," it claimed.