Alter signboard, include Marathi, Mumbai University's VC told

At all schools, colleges and universities in the state, names of faculty are required to be mentioned in two languages — English and Marathi — as per a government rule. However, the Yuva Sena has raised an objection of Mumbai University's vice-chancellor Suhas Pednekar displaying his designation in English alone. Pednekar, they have alleged, has written 'professor', even when mentioning it in the Devnagiri font, outside his chamber at the varsity's Fort campus.

In the past, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had forced elite schools in the city to have the Devnagiri script on their boards. The Yuva Sena has now pointed out the mistake made by the vice-chancellor and has written to him about it.

Shomit Salunkhe, an MPhil student at Mumbai University, said, "As per the Maharashtra Public University Act, 2016, despite making Marathi an administrative language mandatory in the university, the officials have committed an error while marking the board outside the vice-chancellor's office. The designation should have been written in Marathi as 'Pradhyapak', but it instead says 'Professor' in the Devnagiri font."

Meanwhile, the Yuva Sena has also pointed this error out to the varsity officials, and hav requested the necessary changes be made to the board as soon as possible.

Dhanraj Kohachade, a Senate member of the varsity from Yuva Sena, said, "This is disrespect towards the Marathi language. We have given it in writing to the vice-chancellor to rectify the error that has been done on his display board."

Despite repeated attempts, Mumbai University officials remained unavailable for comment.

WHAT’S IN A SIGNBOARD

All names and designations are to be displayed in English and Marathi both. But Suhas Pednekar’s designation says ‘Professor’ even in Devnagiri font outside his chambers at Mumbai University’s Fort campus.