Do not blame software for mess: Makers

Mumbai: The On-Screen Marking (OSM) software is at the centre of a lot of controversy following the delay in the assessment of Mumbai University’s final year papers because of its alleged frequent crashing. But a source associated with Bangalore-based private firm, Merit Trac Service Pvt Ltd, which installed the software in April 2017, has blamed the teachers for the delay.

Speaking to The Asian Age on whether the software was designed to assess one lakh papers in a day, the company’s executive VP, Nagendran Sundararajan said, “OSM can make two to three lakh assessments. It can take much more evaluators logging in.” But he was silent on whether the server was able to handle the stress of handling so many assessments in a day.

According to the source, a few minutes of technical glitch cannot delay the assessment deadline by such a long time. “There was lack of administrative and executive will by the teachers initially after OSM was installed. Back then, they did not show up in as many numbers as now, thereby causing delay.” According to university PRO, teachers were provided training for the on-screen assessment from April 24 to May 5.

Dr Rohini Shivabalan, president of Bombay University and College Teachers’ Union (BUCTU) has denied the allegations, saying, “I think it is the software company that could not make a correct estimate of the number of papers the MU assesses. Teachers are being blamed for what is an administrative problem. This saddens us because our students are like our own children,” she said.

In its letter to MU chancellor, C. Vidyasagar Rao, BUCTO has mentioned that the OSM installed in April this year was an unplanned decision and was still under installation even after the examinations had ended.

Merit Trac has provided the OSM to institutes like Manipal University, Rajasthani Administra-tive Services, CBSE, Rajiv Gandhi Medical Institute and more.