Dr Karande brings AI to the forefront of Mumbai University

Dr Prasad Karande 51 set to revolutionise education by incorporating artificial intelligence AI in the curriculum reflects on his 17month tenure overseeing examinations for over three lakh students across 450 courses at Mumbai University Overcoming challenges like technical glitches and resistance to technology he considers this a significant achievementDr Prasad Karande who is the Director Board of Examinations and Evaluation Mumbai University MU said ldquoImparting academic knowledge by introducing AI technology across streams of education as part of its future curriculum will soon become a reality and this will bring muchrequired dynamics in our existing education and examination systemrdquoDr Karande will soon be replaced by Dr Pooja Raundale Professor Master of Computer Application at Sardar Patel Institute of Technology She was appointed in January 2024 however Dr Karande was directed to hold the temporary charge until the annual convocation ceremony which was held on February 7 and will soon be handing over the charge to Dr Raundale17 months instead of sixDr Karande now an Associate Professor at VJTI teaches optimisation and decision sciences to thirdyear engineering students and supply chain management to finalyear mechanical engineering students Initially assigned a sixmonth role at DBoEE MU from September 1 2022 he ended up serving for seventeen monthsldquoI faced the challenge of transitioning MUrsquos examination systems back to normalcy for the first inperson exam since the COVID19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown which had shifted all exams online at the college levelrdquo he saidChallenges facedldquoFacing a tight deadline of just a month before the winter exams I encountered hurdles such as establishing an online question paper delivery system collecting preexam data allocating seat numbers resetting the onscreen marking system and overcoming challenges related to the pandemicinduced changesrdquoldquoUnderstanding complex university test patterns was challenging due to my technical background but my experience at MSBTE and VJTI equipped me with a solid understanding of examination procedures Being an outsider posed challenges in obtaining cooperation from stakeholders especially when facing pressure from student unions but I successfully managed and gained their cooperation later onrdquoldquoWe addressed usability issues in the existing OSM system during the winter 2022 exam The new OSM system was used in the summer 2023 exam after training staff and assessors Challenges arose with result processing due to student errors After the summer 2023 exam one vendor was chosen for the winter 20232024 examrdquo explained Dr KarandeNew features introducedEnhancements like online attendance tracking a barcode system and QR codes were implemented to improve the assessment system Principal and assessor meetings were organised support was sought from various stakeholders and a dedicated team ensured efficient assessment progress The introduction of online methods reduced delays in providing photocopies and revaluations streamlining processes for timely resultsAdmission reformsPandemics also affected admission schedules impacting student registration eligibility exam administration centre allocation and results declaration To address these issues an early admission calendar for the academic year 202425 is announced This helps avoid reserve scores due to insufficient exam data or eligibility difficulties ensuring a smoother process The advice to students emphasizes the value of hard honest and intelligent work for ultimately gratifying resultsWhat college principals sayDr U K Nambiar principal of MCT law college Airoli said Dr Karande appointed as DBoEE during MUs recovery from the 20202021 pandemic successfully utilised technology to overcome challenges in conducting the 20222023 exams allowing a timely Christmas break for faculties and principalsDr Madhura Kalamkar Principal Hindi Vidya Prachar Samitirsquos College of law said ldquoIntroducing barcode technology for answer sheets and a unified vendor for OSM has streamlined exam processes ensuring timely results Dr Karandes commendable work in this area is expected to be continued by his successor51Age of the doctor