Up to 30 per cent students expected to pass after re-evaluation process

Vihar Durve said in 2017-18, the Mumbai University earned Rs 3,49,64,073 through the re-evaluation process

The rising number of applications for re-evaluations at the Mumbai University has once again raised questions about the quality of the assessment. In May 2019, a total of 69,802 applications were received by the university as against 42,205 in October 2018.

Business of re-evaluations

In October 2018, 13,168 papers were cleared after re-evaluation. The information was revealed through a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by activist Vihar Durve.

Earlier, he had revealed details of number of papers for re-evaluation, etc, and even the huge income that the varsity makes through this process. Experts expect that more than 30 per cent of the students will pass in the re-evaluation process of the May examination, which according to Durve, gives a bad reputation to this much talked about university.

"As the re-evaluation process of the May 2019 examination continues, there is no correct information on how many papers have been cleared. But I am sure it will be as high as the previous term (October 2018). This clearly shows that there are many issues with the evaluation system at the Mumbai University. How else are so many students passing after re-evaluation?" questioned Durve.

Why goof-up now?

He added, "Earlier, the university kept blaming the newly introduced online assessment system for many goof-ups. The number of applications for re-evaluation had crossed one lakh the first year that online assessment was implemented. This time, it has reached 70,000. What reasons do they have now? Teachers are familiar with the online assessment system now."

Durve had earlier also shown how the re-evaluation process is a promising revenue generation practice for the Mumbai University. "As per other RTIs, in the 2017-18 alone, the Mumbai University earned R3,49,64,073 through the re-evaluation process and R13,69,205 through photocopy applications," said Durve. Mumbai University's examination section PRO Ashutosh Rathod was unavailable for comment despite several attempts to contact him.

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