Mumbai: PIL highlighting LLB student woes bears fruit

A public Interest Litigation PIL filed by an associate professor of a law college before the Bombay High Court HC raising concerns about the streamlining of the admission process to avoid delays in commencement of the academic year for the LLB 3year and BLSLLB 5year courses seems to have borne fruitDr Sharmila Ghuge of Jitendra Chauhan College of Law Vile Parle is concerned about flaws in the teaching system wherein teachers are compelled to complete the law syllabus 45 days prior to the exams instead of the mandatory qualitative teaching period of 90 days prescribed by the University Grants Commission UGC Bar Council of India Legal Education Rules 2008 for the Bachelor of Law LLB programmesDr Ghuge also highlighted the lack of response to her written representation addressed to the state chief secretary and commissioner Common Entrance Tests CET Cell midday had raised concerns in its article titled lsquoFlaws in LLB admission process reducing no of teaching daysrsquo dated March 25 highlighting the written representation made by herAlso Read Flaws in LLB admission process reducing no of teaching daysEarlier Dr Ghuge had written to the authorities concerned including the UGC and state government She filed a PIL in the HC as she didnrsquot get any response after waiting for over a month The division bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice S V Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep Marne passed an order in the first week of May before disposing of the PIL Dr Ghuge had raised some vital issues in her PIL and was represented by advocate Shayam DewaniIssue IDelay in admission process by CETCourt observationThe court observed that the schedule has been issued and hence revising it will not be possible but in future admissions must be completed on time ldquoAfter I filed the PIL the state and CET Cell replied to my representation saying they will try to finish admission for the law stream by July this yearrdquo Dr Ghuge saidIssue II4050day semesters instead of 90 days as mandatedCourt observationThe court observed that all bodiescouncils of the university must adhere to the number of teaching days rule Dr Ghuge also raised concerns about Mumbai University issuing exam timetables at the last minute leaving the teachers and students in confusion ldquoIdeally the exam timetable should be issued a month before the exam date but this doesnrsquot happenUniversity officials are acting contrary to their own circular which says there should be 30 days prior intimation of exam datesrdquo she said adding that students donrsquot get study leave and are forced to attend college to complete the syllabus up to a week prior to the exams According to Dr Ghuge Mumbai Universityrsquos law programmes need immediate attention systematic planning and immaculate execution of terms exams internal tests assessments a study break for students vacations for teachersfaculties etcWelcome moveDr U K Nambiar principal of MCT Law College Airoli called the development a welcome move ldquoThe HC has intervened in the matter at the right time We have been demanding this change for a long time but our plea was falling on deaf earsrdquo According to Dr Nambiar the appointment of a new vicechancellor for Mumbai University which is expected at any moment will also be of great help as he would be the authority in charge to address academic issuesUniversity responsibleA senior faculty member said that since the start of CET in 2016 the admission process is delayed and students are suffering as it becomes impossible to adhere to the UGC guidelines ldquoThe university has failed to bring this issue to the notice of the UGC despite the faculties of law being vocal about it The HC intervention in the PIL was the last resortrdquoMeanwhile UGC undersecretary B Ravi Narayanan responded to Dr Ghugersquos letter marked to UGC in Februaryend In a letter dated April 19 he asked Vikas Chandra Rastogi principal secretary Directorate of Higher Education to take appropriate action Attempts made to contact Dr Anil Kumar Singh associated dean of law Mumbai University did not yield any result