Mumbai: Provide free books to students affected by Malad Fire, MU to Colleges

Mumbai: The University of Mumbai (MU) has directed colleges to provide free books to students whose homes were gutted in a fire at Appa Pada area in Malad two weeks ago. 

In a circular issued on Wednesday, MU also asked its affiliated colleges and departments to issue duplicate identity cards, mark sheets and other academic documents, without any charges, to the students who lost their possession in the massive blaze that gutted over 800 hutments and killed one person.

The university also asked those who lost their university-issued documents, such as final-year mark sheets and degree certificates, to apply for duplicate documents at its examination department.

The directive comes after activists demanded the varsity take necessary measures to avoid academic loss of the students. Days after the blaze, student organisation Chhatra Bharti had written a letter to the university vice-chancellor, requesting him to provide textbooks and other study material to the fire-affected students through the varsity's student development funds. It also requested waiving off the fees of upcoming semester examinations and duplicate identity cards.

"The university students living in the area lost all their study material and are under immense stress as their homes have been reduced to rubble. As these students belong to economically weaker sections, the varsity must consider our demands positively," the letter had read.

Chhatra Bharti has now welcomed the directive. "We carried out a sit-in agitation to provide educational aid to the students affected by the accident. As the university has issued the circular, we have ended our protest," said Sachin Bansode, President, Chhatra Bharti.