After the University of Mumbai (MU) relaxed its restrictions on promoting engineering students with backlogs, there's a demand to extend similar benefits to pharmacy students.
MU, in November, had issued a circular allowing Bachelor of Engineering (BE) students who were detained in the second and third years to be 'conditionally' promoted to the next level. The varsity had, however, clarified that it was a 'one time' provision for the current academic year 2023-24.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena (MNVS) has written a letter or the MU vice chancellor Ravindra Kulkarni, alleging that the varsity's decision is discriminatory, as it only benefits the engineering students. It has asked for students all the courses under Science and Technology faculty to be given this opportunity.
"Due to the error in MU's circular many students in science and technology faculty, especially those in pharmacy degree course, will loose an academic year," said Santosh Gangurde, state chief organiser, MNVS.
What Does University Rule Say?
The university rules require students in technical courses such as BE and Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) to clear all their first year subjects in order to advance to the third year of the course. Similarly, only those who pass in all their second year subjects are allowed to study the fourth year.
In its November circular the university said that all the students detained due to their failed subjects of the first and second year be promoted in the third and fourth years respectively.
These students, however, will only be able to continue their enrollment if they manage to clear their backlogs in the 2023 winter exam session. These students will have to take all the semester exams of the third and fourth years together at the end of 2023-24.
A university official said that the relaxation was meant only for engineering students because they constitute for the largest cohort of the students detained over backlogs. "We can't tell if the opportunity can also be provided to pharmacy students," he said.
