MU stays decision to bar non-NAAC colleges from admission

On May 7, MU announced that 229 colleges would be barred from the admission process for not completing NAAC accreditation or re-accreditation

MUMBAI: In a relief to students and colleges across the state, the University of Mumbai has decided to stay its earlier order of barring 176 affiliated institutions from admitting students for the academic year 2025-26. The move follows direct intervention by the state’s higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil, who instructed the university to reconsider its decision in light of students’ academic interests.

Representative picture. Mumbai University Convocation Hall

On May 7, MU announced that 229 colleges would be barred from the admission process for not completing NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council) accreditation or re-accreditation. Some of these colleges also lacked a functioning College Development Committee (CDC), a key governance body mandated by university regulations.

After receiving complaints from students and education groups, the state government stepped in and asked the university to re-evaluate its directive. “Considering the welfare of students and to avoid academic disruption, we are providing a six-month extension to colleges to complete their NAAC procedures,” said Patil. He emphasized that NAAC accreditation remains mandatory for all eligible colleges under non-agricultural universities, serving as a vital benchmark for academic quality.

Patil also acknowledged delays caused by NAAC Bengaluru’s online portal’s ongoing upgrade since the introduction of the new Binary Accreditation System. Colleges have been instructed to initiate their assessment processes immediately once the updated portal is live. Universities, meanwhile, are expected to collect written assurances from institutions and begin compliance procedures without delay.

While allowing the colleges to take in students, MU has asked them to submit a bond regarding NAAC compliance during given period. The decision about colleges being barred due to CDC remains the same.

MU extends pre-admission registration deadline

MU has extended the deadline for online pre-admission registration for undergraduate programs in the 2025–26 academic year to May 26. As per the revised schedule, the first merit list will be released on May 27.

The registration process is mandatory for students applying to first-year undergraduate programs in affiliated, autonomous, and recognized colleges under the university. So far, over 2.25 lakh students have registered, with more than 5 lakh applications submitted across various courses.