Experts slam Mumbai University’s offshore campuses move, call it misplaced priority

Mumbai city news: Critics are also sceptical about students’ response to the campuses abroad. They said the varsity must improve its education standards and ranking before expanding

Educationists criticised vice chancellor (VC) Sanjay Deshmukh for floating ambitious plans of setting up campuses abroad instead of finding solutions to the problems plaguing the day-to-day functioning of the Mumbai university.

Critics believe at a time when the varsity is faced with challenges including examination and evaluation woes, poor quality of education and lack of research work, the plan for building international campuses is a misplaced priority. (HT file)

They believe at a time when the varsity is faced with challenges including examination and evaluation woes, poor quality of education and lack of research work, the plan for building international campuses is a misplaced priority.

“The entire administrative system at the university is deteriorating. Before starting campuses abroad, the vice chancellor should improve the conditions of varsity’s three sub-centres in Kalyan, Thane and Ratnagiri,” said Sanjay Vairal, a former MU senate member.

The critics are also sceptical about students’ response to the campuses abroad. They said the varsity must improve its education standards and ranking before expanding.

“The university has been faring poorly in rankings and its academic record has fallen over the years. Given its current reputation, who will join the university’s offshore campus?” said Rohini Sivabalan, president, Bombay University and College Teachers Union (BUCTU).

Countering the allegations, Deshmukh said he has not neglected varsity’s problems and is working to solve them at the earliest. “I am working very hard. My aim is to make the university top 10 institutes of the country,” he said.