Mumbai University repeats past mistake - Schedules 2 law papers on same day

Paper I for first semester of all the six groups of LLM will be held on May 23, between 3 and 6pm. Paper IV for second semester of all the six groups has been slotted simultaneously.

Master of Laws (LLM) students at University of Mumbai (MU) are in a fix as two papers of the first and second semester exams have been scheduled on the same day. In March, the varsity issued timetable for commerce examinations that overlapped with Chartered Accountancy (CA) exams scheduled for April.

About 660 students were enrolled for first-year LLM courses. (HT FILE)

As per examination timetable, paper I for first semester of all the six groups of LLM will be held on May 23, between 3and 6pm. However, paper IV for second semester of all the six groups has been slotted simultaneously.

While the second semester test is part of regular examinations, the first semester test is for the students who failed the exams during the last evaluation cycle. About 660 students were enrolled for first-year LLM courses.

However, several students skipped the first semester exams after Bombay high court had allowed them to do so. All these students will take both these examinations during the current cycle.

“It’s impossible for students to appear simultaneously for both the papers on May 23. They will suffer because of MU’s fault," said Sachin Pawar, president, Students law Council, a city-based students’ group. He wants MU to postpone first semester exam by 20 days.

During the last semester examinations, a few LLM students had moved court, requesting the first semester examinations be rescheduled. Students argued they did not get enough time to prepare for the examinations, owing to delay in admissions caused by the assessment mess at MU. The court allowed the students to skip the first semester examination and take it along with the second semester examinations during the current evaluation cycle.

A few some students are upset, as the two examinations will now be conducted one after another — the first semester tests will be held between May 23 and 31 and the second semester test have been scheduled from May 15 to 23 — leaving them with little time for preparation.

“I was admitted to the course just a few days before the first semester exams. Now I’ve little time to prepare,” said an LLM student.