Bombay HC stays Mumbai University’s ban on extra answer sheets

Mumbai: The Bombay high court (HC) has given an interim stay on  University of Mumbai’s (MU) recent circular, which did not allow students to seek extra answer sheets or supplements during examinations.

The HC directed the university to provide extra answer sheets to under-graduate and post-graduate students whose exams are starting Saturday.

A division bench comprising justice Bhushan Gavai was hearing a petition filed by Manasi Bhushan, a final-year law student, challenging the circular which stated that students cannot be given extra answer sheets or supplements during exams to complete their answers and will have to complete their answers in the 37-page main answer sheet provided to them. Ms Bhushan said that MU’s decision was arbitrary and bad in law.

The HC while passing order on Friday observed that the decision of MU to restrict students from taking supplements during exams was meant to avoid errors in the online assessment system however, students could not be penalised for the university’s mistake. The court further said that some students may not even need the entire main answer sheet however others may require supplements as the handwriting of different students was different.

The court said, “The idea is that students are provided with as many pages as required to complete their answers. Now, whether you provide them loose sheets or another booklet is up to you. We cannot allow the university’s last-minute decisions to prejudice students’ rights.”

The court also rejected the university’s claim that there was no scope for the high court to intervene in its decisions. The court said that it would deal with the issue during final hearing but as of now, it could not allow the university to prejudice students. “The university’s circular, a piece of paper, cannot be considered as a piece if delegated legislation,” the court said.