If Leonardo DiCaprio presents a more tantalising picture than the digs of Harappa or hanging out in the canteen is more appetising than the joys of the classroom, is the university to blame for thinning attendance rolls? Students from at least three city colleges have been debarred from taking this year's final examination on the ground that they flouted the university's 75-per cent attendance rule, bringing into focus several loopholes in the system which has culminated in the flashpoint.University officials argue that if the students took the trouble to attend class at least 75 per cent of the time, they wouldn't have been crying out for justice in the first place.The students, however, point to discrimination in attendance-taking, accusing professors who dodge class of adopting double standards.Besides, they say, the university as well as individual colleges have exhibited bias by allowing 53 students of Ramnarain Ruia College, who flouted the 75-per cent attendance criterion, to take the finalexam. But the ``height'' of discrimination clearing a lone student whose attendance was even more pathetic than those who had been debarred. In that case, aren't the 18 Sophia College students and 31 from Hinduja College, who have also been debarred, entitled to some justice?Are the students playing hookey or are their lecturers a discriminating bunch of academicians, whose `irregularities' set the worst possible example? Why were 150 students of Mithibai College not debarred when their attendance sheets were as pathetic as they come? Or were they just plain lucky? And why is a section of students screaming blue murder? Are the attendance records of the other colleges in order?Ordinance 119 of the University of Mumbai says a student must secure a minimum 75 per cent attendance per term to be eligible for the final exam. ``But if all principals diligently enforced the rule, almost 90 per cent of their wards would be debarred from taking the exams. Which is why every college has its own criterion forblacklisting students; there is no uniformity at all,'' admits Principal D B Kadam of Bhavan's College, Andheri.The students' culpability is not in dispute but are the college authorities right in wielding the stick at the end of the academic year, when the students are left with little choice?The Bombay High Court addressed the problem two years ago, when nearly 40 second year commerce students of Sydenham College moved court. The court ruled in favour of the students, finding various loopholes in the way the college had managed its classes. Professors had been absent too, it pointed out. Besides, there were obvious discrepancies while preparing the blacklist for attendance, the court had ruled.Evidently, the verdict worked. Attendance sheets of both students - and their professors - began to look healthier ever since. However, only a handful of colleges can boast of healthy attendance rolls.Says Principal G Ramachandram of the Kandivli Education Society's College of Commerce: ``The universitycannot apply different norms to different colleges. While Ruia College has detained 53 students this year, the university committee overruled it after finding that the college had been partial to one student. On the other hand, none of the Mithibai students with zero per cent attendance were debarred,'' he points out.He said his own college had debarred 36 students in the past but they too dragged the matter to court, which granted interim relief. ``We put up a blacklist every month in a systematic and computerised fashion and sometimes even summon the students' parents. There is no room for bias. But not all colleges take such active interest in attendance, leading to a lot of heartburn later. The university should pull up colleges for being lackadaisical,'' Principal Ramachandram suggests.But the university is not entirely to blame. It appointed a committee in 1996, headed by Principal Rupa Shah of Mithibai College, to wrestle with the issue and recommend ways to introduce some uniformity inattendance-taking procedures.It met twice, but therein hangs the tale. The panel faded into oblivion and was never revived. A core member of the committee, M G Shirahatti, admits: ``Formation of such a university committee is usually the last nail in the coffin. Nothing worthwhile comes of it. A committee is formed, everyone's happy. Period.''President of the Forum For Fairness In Education, Bhagvaji Raiyani, now plans to file a writ petition in court making the university a respondent. ``We shall move court within 10 days as no one is really interested in changing the system. Absenteeism is rampant in many colleges since students are more interested in attending coaching classes than lectures,'' he says.``If the 75 per cent attendance rule is rigidly implemented I don't think anyone will have time to attend coaching classes,'' he points out.Hopefully, educationists will not play truant then. Otherwise, the university may be left with little option other than to shut down the colleges and let the`modern' centres of learning - the ubiquitous coaching classes - be affiliated to the University of Mumbai!(Vijay Singh is a reporter with The Indian Express. He covers Education.)
