Frustrated with delays in the academic year, examinations, and declaration of results, first-year engineering students from colleges affiliated with Mumbai University are demanding a special ‘carry-on’ facility as a one-time measure to bring the calendar back on track.

According to students, apart from these delays, many of them have failed because of issues in the assessments of their answer sheets, and which in turn has resulted in a backlog of unclear papers. Generally, students are allowed to carry over two papers.

Teachers have also pointed out that a large number of engineering students have failed in the first year, with only a few of them taking up the second year.

In a letter to Vikas Chandra Rastogi, Principal Secretary, the higher education department, some of the affected students wrote, “Due to the delay in the centralised admission process last year, our academic year began only in November 2022. Within two months, we had to appear for the first-semester examination. It was already difficult to cope with the delay and prepare for the exam”.

“Additionally, the result was delayed and was declared by the time of the second-semester exam held in June 2023. Before we could apply for re-evaluation or photocopies, a re-exam was scheduled in July 2024. Because of this haphazardness, many are forced to drop out due to having a greater number of backlog papers,” they added.

As students are demanding a special measure of a carry-on facility, Dr Vijay Pawar, Mumbai University’s Senate member, has written to the director of the varsity’s board of Examinations and Evaluations, in their support. In his letter, Pawar cited the example of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU).

“They have approved such a one-time measure for all first-year students for this year only due to delays in the last academic year. Mumbai University too can extend such a facility to its students,” he said, adding that it would be unjustified if students were forced to drop out due to administrative delays.

Like other undergraduate courses, engineering students can also start the next academic year with a maximum of two subjects as backlog from the earlier year.

“But this year, we are witnessing a considerable number of students lagging behind with a greater number of backlog papers. And this is not completely their fault as not only the academic year was delayed. The exam assessment was not as per the schedule,” said Professor Rajendra Kadam, a visiting faculty at various engineering colleges.

Kadam said, “First of all the first-semester result was declared in two parts where 50 per cent received their result in May 2023 few days before their second-semester exam. The remaining students got their results in June 2023, a few days after the second-semester exam.”