Mumbai University

Mumbai University wrongly failed 35,000 students in exams last year: RTI

TNN | Oct 17, 2018, 03.52 AM IST

MUMBAI:

As many as 35,000 students—or close to 36% of the over 97,000 who applied for revaluation of over 1.81 lakh answer papers—had been wrongly marked as failed in the Mumbai University examinations of 2017. These students cleared the bar after revaluation, revealed an RTI query. “Students taking MU exams are losing faith in its assessment,” said RTI activist Vihar Durve.

A total of 97,313 applicants filed for revaluation, perhaps the largest student cohort in recent history, reflecting the fact that large numbers of candidates have begun to lose trust in the university’s assessment process. In the previous three years, approximately 73,000 students—or one in three—were wrongly failed in examinations conducted by the university, raising questions over the evaluation.

When the summer session exams concluded, 49,596 students had doubts over the scores marked in their 85,068 answer books and they subsequently applied for revaluation. Of these, 16,739 cleared their exams. Again, in the second half of 2017, a total of 47,717 candidates applied to get 76,086 scripts revalued. Of these, 18,254 cleared the exams after their answer books were reassessed.

During the first half of 2016, 16,934 of the 44,441 applications were cleared after revaluation, revealed the RTI query. “While 80,000 candidates applied for revaluation in all of 2014, the number of disgruntled candidates had gone up to close to a lakh now,” activist Vihar Durve said.

The situation is more confounding for students who don’t receive revaluation results in time and are thus forced to appear for supplementary exams. In several cases, results of revaluation are declared after the students appear for supplementary exams.

The university charges Rs 500 for revaluation and Rs 100 for a photocopy of answer books. “The university should publish a model standard answer paper set and give it to paper-checkers and also publish the same on its website,” said Durve. “The university should appoint sufficient paper-checkers so there is no pressure on them in terms of time. Payment to papercheckers must be in line with the work. Strict action must be taken against those who err.” But Mumbai University replied that it had failed to take any action against erring paper-checkers.

Durve has sought reduction in the revaluation fee and demanded that it be refunded and compensation paid to those who are wrongly failed. In an earlier RTI query, Durve had found that in 2012, 14,586 of the 68,653 students who applied for revaluation passed. In the first half of 2013, of 43,256 who applied, 10,509 cleared the exam.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mu-wrongly-failed-35000-students-in-exams-last-year-rti/articleshowprint/66253455.cms