Varsity8217;s fails to make project work

MUMBAI, March 18: A proposal to improve students' participation in education by introducing project work has virtually been scuttled than...

MUMBAI, March 18: A proposal to improve students8217; participation in education by introducing project work has virtually been scuttled thanks to the liberal attitude of principals and the lackadaisical attitude of the University of Mumbai.

Most colleges have cited a litany of excuses for extending the January 15 deadline set by the university for submitting the project work, introduced in the current academic year in first-year degree courses as part of the internal assessment scheme. Many colleges are accepting project work even now, two months after the deadline and a week or two before examinations. Instead of the envisioned participation in education, students are being given a chance to do an incomplete job and finish projects in a few days.

Ten marks have been set aside for this component of internal assessment. Project work, which is to be extended to all three years in a phased manner, can comprise book reviews, assignments, vivas and written tests, among other things. Students who do not score twomarks in the project will be debarred from appearing for the final exam.

While some principals say they have extended the deadline on 8220;humanitarian grounds,8221; others say the paperwork involved in maintaining separate records of students who fail for just two marks is too much.

Says a principal, 8220;Defaulting students can appear for exams only next year. Why should they have to repeat a year for the sake of two marks?8221; Seven students have been debarred from the college, though the deadline was extended twice. 8220;We8217;re doing everything to make them eligible,8221; the principal said.

Asha Bhattacharya, principal of DTSS College, Malad, said: 8220;Since it8217;s just a matter of 10 marks, principals are even calling up students at home and asking them to finish projects. It shows their desperation.8221;

Adds another principal, 8220;In our college, first-year exams are scheduled for March 22, but we8217;re accepting projects even now. As this is the first year, students and teachers should be given a chance to get used to thesystem. If genuine reasons are given, I might accept projects even a day before the exams.8221;

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At the Vivek College of Commerce, Goregaon, students were given three chances to submit their projects. Despite that, 10 students were disqualified. Says principal P Unnikrishnan, 8220;We gave assignments tests at the fag end to help students, but some did not appear.8221;

Most students haven8217;t taken projects seriously either. M G Shirahatti of Lala Lajpatrai College, Haji Ali, said: 8220;There8217;s a provision for a group of students to submit the project together. In spite of that, students are late.8221;

Remarked D B Kadam, principal of Bhavan8217;s College, where 30 students have been debarred: 8220;How will colleges be able to assess projects if they8217;re submitted a day before the exam? There should be a common deadline, or else students finishing their work on time will be demotivated.8221; The same stands for students in colleges where projects haven8217;t been accepted after the January deadline.

Worse, principals haven8217;t soughtuniversity8217;s permission to extend the deadline and have gone by their own rules. The university hasn8217;t bothered to keep a check either. University Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr Naresh Chandra said: 8220;Colleges are expected to act on the university circular. If there are complaints, we8217;ll look into the matter.8221;