The Mumbai University on Wednesday suspended Prof Vilas Shinde,the controller of examination (CoE),after a report by the government-appointed committee stated that he did not have required qualification for the post. Meanwhile Dr S M Suryavanshi,deputy registrar of the administration department,has been appointed as in-charge CoE. Since Shindes appointment as CoE in 2007,the varsity has witnessed several complaints and protests by students,professors,university staff and even senate members. Shinde was accused of inefficiency and was held responsible for all the goof-ups in the examination department. There would not be any change in the schedule of the convocation ceremony to be held on January 28 due to Prof Shindes suspension. The official suspension letter was handed over to Shinde. Dr S M Suryanvanshi will be the in-charge CoE, said a senior official from MU. Prof Vaibhav Narawade,a former senate member,who has been campaigning against Shinde for a long time now,had obtained details of Shindes qualification through Right to Information (RTI) Act in 2009. He had said that Shinde did not have an experience of 15 years as a lecturer (senior scale) to be eligible for the post of CoE. According to Narawade,Shinde had a work experience of 16 years and six months at the time of applying for the post of CoE. But he had worked as a lecturer (senior scale) only for five years and one month,Narawade had alleged. Fifty teachers,including Narawade,had gone on a hunger strike in December 2011 to oppose his appointment. We have been protesting since 2007. However,some people in the varsity had been covering up Shinde and his inefficiency. Finally,our struggle has reached a fruitful conclusion and all the students who have suffered because of Shinde have got justice, said Narawade.
