Mumbai University goofs again: Old syllabus question paper given to LLB students

In yet another embarrassing mistake, the University of Mumbai (MU) on Tuesday distributed an outdated question paper for the fifth-semester LLB ATKT (Allowed To Keep Terms) examination. The paper, based on the old syllabus, caused confusion and anxiety among students, who had to wait nearly 30 minutes before the correct one was provided.

The ATKT system lets students move on to the next academic year even if they fail in some subjects, as long as they pass those failed subjects within a set timeframe.

A final-year LLB student who appeared for the Labour Law & Industrial Relations II exam shared their frustration with The Free Press Journal:“

"Getting a question paper from a syllabus that was scrapped over three years ago was heartbreaking. It completely threw us off. Even when the new paper was handed out, our confidence was already shaken. We couldn’t focus properly because we had prepared for the new syllabus.”

While Yuva Sena leaders alleged that around 60 colleges received the wrong paper, the university said the error affected 30 colleges and roughly 2,000 students.

In a statement, the university clarified: “The question paper was dispatched from the handwritten manuscripts section at 9:30 AM. Soon after, the college informed us that the paper was based on the old syllabus. On checking, it turned out that the paper setter had indeed submitted a version based on the outdated syllabus. The link to the paper was immediately deactivated and a new one was sent out. Students were given an extra 30 minutes, and all colleges were notified via phone.”

Yuva Sena senate members, who have repeatedly criticized the university’s examination department and the Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE)—formerly the Institute of Distance and Open Learning (IDOL)—again demanded accountability.

“For the past one and a half years, we’ve been asking for a joint meeting to discuss the ongoing mismanagement in MU’s exam department and CDOE. But the administration keeps ignoring us. Even today, during the third-year law exam, fifth-semester students received a paper from the old syllabus. It took 30 minutes to fix this after students raised concerns. This is just the latest in a long list of blunders,” said a Yuva Sena representative.

They also questioned whether the Controller of Examinations and the exam department director would finally take moral responsibility and step down.

This incident follows another recent mistake by MU—just a month ago, it issued degree certificates to the 2023-24 graduating batch with “University of Mumabai” printed under the emblem.