Documents of over 97k students pending with colleges, MU issues a final warning

The university published a list of 152 non-compliant colleges, predominantly autonomous institutions, that have failed to provide admission records since 2019

Mumbai: The University of Mumbai has issued a stern warning to its affiliated colleges: submit pending student documents within a month or face a halt in admissions for the upcoming academic year. The ultimatum affects more than 97,000 students whose academic careers hang in balance due to missing documentation.

According to university regulations, colleges must submit registration and eligibility documents in the same year as first-year admissions. (HT PHOTO)

The university published a list of 152 non-compliant colleges, predominantly autonomous institutions, that have failed to provide admission records since 2019. These missing documents, including migration and transfer certificates, are essential for verifying student eligibility.

According to university regulations, colleges must submit registration and eligibility documents in the same year as first-year admissions. However, numerous cases regarding student eligibility remain unresolved for academic years spanning 2019 through 2023.

Despite extending the deadline to September 30 and sending multiple reminders, many colleges have remained non-compliant, compelling the university to adopt a more rigorous approach.

"All these colleges have once again been given a month's deadline. The admission of students from colleges that do not submit the necessary documents along with the fee to the university within the said period will be cancelled and such colleges will be denied permission to conduct the admission process for the next academic year 2025-26," said Pooja Raudale, director of the examination and evaluation board. "The entire responsibility will be borne by the concerned colleges."

Raudale emphasised that missing documentation from the past four academic years has created obstacles for students pursuing further education and career opportunities.

However, some college administrators point to practical challenges in document submission. A principal from a Kandivali-based college said, "In many cases, students submit documents like migration certificates after the admission process concludes. For instance, if 100 students are enrolled, why would I delay submitting documents for only 10 students? University officials need to consider practical challenges colleges face."

The impact of these administrative delays is evident in individual cases. A BA graduate who completed his final examination in July is still awaiting his mark sheet. His result was marked as "reserved" due to missing documentation from his college. After discovering his documents were misplaced during the Covid-19 period, he attempted to submit them directly to the university.

"When I visited the university with my documents, I was told to pay a penalty of ₹5,000 for each year of delay," the student said. The situation worsened when he returned after elections. "Now, I am required to pay ₹5,000 per year, an additional ₹5,000 as a late fee, and ₹10 per day from the start of the first academic year."

The scale of the documentation crisis is significant. University records show 14,442 students with pending documents from 2019-20, 12,281 from 2020-21, 22,900 from 2021-22, and 47,610 from 2022-23.

The university has emphasised that this final deadline is non-negotiable and will be strictly enforced to protect students' academic rights and futures. Affiliated colleges have been instructed to ensure timely submission of student records each year to prevent similar issues in the future.