Unable to submit examination forms, SPPU students fear losing degrees

While some students have paid the fees for the current academic year, others have filled the exam form for backlog papers and paid the exam fees, but then found that their permanent registration numbers (PRN) were blocked, without intimation.

They have been told that this is because they have exceeded the time-limit within which they should complete their degrees.

A circular released by the examination department of the university in November 2019 said that students would get six years more than their course duration to complete their degrees. According to this, law students would have a total of 11 years to complete their five-year-long degrees, students would have 10 years for four-year-long degrees and nine years for three-year-long bachelor degrees.

When students of the 2015 batch approached the university officials for remedy to their blocked exam forms, they were told that the university is following the guidelines laid down by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 2015. These guidelines released on October 15, 2015 state that all students should be granted a total of two additional years and three in exceptional cases to complete their degrees.

On Monday, some law and engineering students from Pune, Nashik, Latur and other cities, along with human rights lawyer Asim Sarode, met with Vijay Khare, Head of Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, to put forth their plight.

The group included students from rural backgrounds, married women and mothers. Several of them have full-time jobs as they have only some backlog papers while others are enrolled in the last year. Losing their degrees would mean being shunned by in-laws who have spent money for college, no job prospects and even suicide for some, the students fear.

“I got married in 2019 and I was unable to get back to studies the next year or so due to the pandemic as well as my pregnancy. Now that I am back, I am finding that my exam form is blocked. I have had to struggle with my family to get to this point and if I do not get my law degree now, it will all go to waste,” said a 28-year-old student who did not wish to be named. She enrolled in a five-year law degree in 2015.

“I was not very worried because I knew I had time and could come back to studies but the university now saying that they are following different rules is shocking,” she added.
An engineering student said, “We have nowhere to turn to at this point. I have struggled to complete my engineering degree because of illness in my family which made me go back home for some time and my own mental health issues. I have only two backlog papers and if I do not clear them this year, I will not get my degree. I will lose my job and my family will disown me if I am left a 12th-pass student after all these years. There is no option but suicide after this.”
A delegation plans to meet with the Vice Chancellor on Tuesday.

Director of Examinations Mahesh Kakade told The Indian Express, “The circular by the examination department in 2019 with the ‘n+6’ rule was released before I came to this position. It is a shocking blunder and we are trying to remedy it the best we can. We are withdrawing this circular. We have discussed this with the vice chancellor and have written to the UGC regarding the same, awaiting update. We are with the students, mainly female students who have genuine concerns and will make sure they do not suffer.”

He said that it is likely that students who have legitimate reasons will be allowed to sit for examinations in December in a separate round. Students have been writing letters to the university officials and have created WhatsApp groups to share information and updates.

A student from Nashik said, “How can these rules be applied to students retrospectively, especially when the university was the one that said we had six extra years. How can we be expected to pay for the university’s mistakes?”