Can't meet MU results deadline

As lakhs of students under the University of Mumbai eagerly wait for their results, the University Vice Chancellor Dr Sanjay Deshmukh has expressed on Friday his inability to meet the July 31.

At a meeting convened by Ramraje Nimbalkar, Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Dr Deshmukh said that while the results of some streams such as Management and Technology would come in before July 31, the university cannot meet the deadline for faculty of Commerce, Law and Arts, as a large number of papers are yet to be evaluated.

State Education minister Vinod Tawde was also present at the meeting, along with Niranjan Davkhare, Dhananjay Munde, Anil Parab, Sanjay Dutt and others. Sources say Tawde asked the VC to ensure that the results are declared without any errors, even if it means a delay of two-three days.

Tawde said that an inquiry would be conducted against whoever responsible for the delay — the company which was given the contract, or the VC and university officials.

Deshmukh said that the university would try its best to declare the results of all the major faculties by first week of August, after which a few members raised concerns about the fate of students seeking admissions abroad.

As on Friday, a total of 3,70,290 papers were yet to be assessed. 78,506 papers were assessed and moderated on Friday by 3620 teachers, a number lower than the last three days. "We are trying to declare a few results by tonight and in the next two days," said Vinayak Dalvie, Officer on Special Duty (OSD).

Despite setting up a system for assessment at Aurangabad University, the assessment work had not started until Friday evening as the teachers at the university were yet to be tagged into the system by the service provider. Tawde said in the legislative assembly on Friday that the government would prepare a masterplan to tackle the issue of delayed results at the university.

Sanjay Nirupam demands Tawde, Deshmukh's resignation

Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam demanded the resignation of MU VC Sanjay Deshmukh and State Education minister Vinod Tawde at a press conference held on Friday. "The university is blaming the service provider —Meritrac — for the glitches," he said. "There seems to be a nexus between some senior BJP leaders and the company as the tendering process has not been done properly. A Judicial inquiry should be conducted into the case. The VC and State education minister should resign for playing with the future of lakhs of students."