Lack of administrative planning has once again disrupted examinations for law students in Mumbai. A group of 3-year and 5-year LLB students from Nalanda Law College in Borivli were unable to take their final year exams on Monday due to missing hall tickets.
Despite receiving exam timetables well in advance, students said the exam portal links — used to access past results and download hall tickets — were sent only last Thursday. “Many of us were unable to log in to those portals. Over the weekend, our college officials kept reassuring us that the hall tickets would turn up,” said Shel Sarawgi, an LLB student.
When the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) exams were scheduled at 10.30 am, students were asked to report to the college instead to collect hall tickets from the security guard. “While some students got theirs, we were told ours were on the way. Even at 10.45 am, we were waiting at our college gates instead of being at our exam centres,” she added.
Students await answer sheet barcodes at Siddharth Law College. Pics/By Special Arrangement
With the labour law exam slated for Wednesday and no clarity on hall tickets, students remain in limbo. “Many 5-year LLB students were sent to sit at their centres while teachers rushed with hall tickets. Even after that, they were asked to wait due to problems with the QR codes on answer sheets. My hall ticket never showed up, and it has left me troubled,” said another student on condition of anonymity.
Change in login?
When mid-day contacted authorities, Prof Milind S Gajadhane, local secretary of the college, said, “These are technical glitches that didn’t allow students to generate hall tickets. Students possibly changed their login passwords, which led to this problem. We are in touch with Mumbai University and will meet them tomorrow. We intend to resolve the issue before the next examination.”
On the delayed answer sheet barcodes, Gajadhane added, “These are central administrative issues faced at centres across the city. We hope to smooth things out in the next examination.” Officials from Mumbai University said, “Their admission was not done on the university portal by the college; naturally, hall tickets could not be given.”
Unfair on some
In another part of the city, 5-year LLB students appeared for exams at Siddharth College of Law in Fort, but the barcodes on answer sheets — which carry student details — arrived late. “The students still had their answer sheets even after exam time ended, which could give others an unfair advantage. Many approached YuvaSena, and we will soon speak to university officials to address this mismanagement,” said Pradeep Sawant, YuvaSena member.
Siddharth College officials said Mumbai University was to send around 170 students to their centre, and seating arrangements were made accordingly. Additional students were assigned just before exams, leaving the college unprepared. Despite this, all students were able to take their papers on Monday at the centre. Officials from Mumbai University said the delay in barcodes happened because the colleges concerned did not submit the necessary student data to the university on time.
