Activist tells students to get copies from Mumbai University

Mumbai: Activist Anjali Damania has requested all final year degree students of the University of Mumbai to ask for a ‘photocopy’ of their answer sheets once their results are declared so that they can understand how their papers were assessed. She is also planning to file a Right to Information (RTI) inquiry along with RTI activist Anil Galgali, regarding the tenders which was passed before appointing the company,  MeritTrac, for assessing the answer sheets online in the On-Screen Marking system.

Talking to The Asian Age, Ms Damania said, “By obtaining the photocopies, the reality of the answer papers will be exposed. How the answer papers were assessed, how it was scanned, the manner in which the students’ answers were checked and marked, all this will come out!” A single photocopy of an answer sheets cost Rs 50, which they can pay at their college and fill a form. Within 10 days, the student will receive a photocopy of his or her answer sheet.

She alleged that politics had ruined the administration of the university. “The entire exam delay matter is not being taken seriously by anyone. Unless and until, the high court interferes in this issue, there won’t be any pressure on the officials,” she added.

The activist claimed that it was unfair to just send the MU’s Vice-Chancellor (V-C) Sanjay Deshmukh on a leave, when the entire mess has been initiated by him. “Deshmukh should have been terminated, instead he has been sent on leave, or he just left on leave, which is so easy for him.”  She also said that it made more sense to have manual assessment of papers. “If the exam is conducted online, it makes sense to have online assessment. But if the student gave his/her examination manually, the assessment of those papers has to be assessed manually by the teachers,” she added.