33 FY BSc IT students barred from exam over revised eligibility criteria

Mumbai: Thirty-three first-year (FY) BSc in Information Technology (IT) students at Shree Rajasthani Seva Sangh College, Andheri have been barred from appearing for the semester one examination scheduled to commence on December 15. The denial results from the students’ class 12 marks falling below the revised eligibility threshold of 45%.

Principal Trishala Mehta has taken the matter with the University of Mumbai (MU) through a letter emphasising the sudden changes in admission criteria for FY BSc IT. Mehta’s plea to MU seeks the regularisation of admission for the affected students.

In her letter to MU, Mehta pointed out that the students had enrolled in the BSc IT course through online registration on the varsity’s portal administered by Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL). The form specifically indicated the course as BSc IT, with no mention of ineligibility criteria. The college, relying on this information, admitted the students and assigned them Permanent Registration Numbers (PRN). Mehta’s plea to MU is to allow these students to continue their studies in the BSc IT program.

To reinforce the appeal, Mehta cited precedents from previous years where students admitted to the BSc IT program with a percentage of 40% or above in class 12 were permitted to proceed. The principal also submitted a letter from the affected students, appealing for admission to the BSc IT program to prevent the loss of the academic year 2023-24. An official from MU, said, “As per the circular September 12, 2022, a minimum of 45% marks is required for admission to BSc IT course. While students who do not have minimum 45% marks, it is entirely the fault of the college that such students have been admitted.”

A college student expressed the desire to formalise their admission, citing a lack of awareness about the rules. “I dedicated the last six months to rigorous studies, and now I am shocked after I came to know that my admission has been denied by MU,” said the student. Another student emphasised the loss of an entire academic year if the admission is not regularised. Urging MU for assistance, the student appealed for the regularisation of the admission or guidance on available alternatives.

Right to Information (RTI) activist Anil Galgali has written to chief minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, higher, technical education minister Chandrakant Patil, and MU vice-chancellor Ravindra Kulkarni. In his letter, Galgali has suggested an alternative solution, proposing that rather than letting the academic year go to waste, MU should permit the affected students to participate in the examination or consider their inclusion in the Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL) for these years, as no specific marks requirement exists for this program.