Second semester scheduled from January to May: Mumbai university

With examination to most undergraduate courses coming to an end, the University of Mumbai (MU) has clarified that the second-term for the 2020-21 academic year will commence from January 1 until May 31, 2021. Summer vacations have been scheduled from June 1-13, 2021. A circular to this effect has been shared with all affiliated colleges this week.

“All faculties including traditional (arts, commerce and science) as well as interdisciplinary studies have followed first-term from August 7 to December 31. The second-term will take place between January 1 to May 31, and the summer holidays will take place from June 1 to 13,” states the circular.

As per MU’s November 18 circular, affiliated colleges are supposed to hold online exams for the current batches of undergraduate courses by December 2020, while postgraduate exams should be conducted in January 2021. Following this, the Bombay University and College Teachers’ Union (BUCTU) approached MU’s vice-chancellor, seeking postponement of first-year degree college exams. Teachers highlighted that due to delay in admissions to first-year courses, most colleges have not managed to teach the mandatory 90 days before exams, making it impossible to hold exams in December.

Following this, the varsity in the first week of December released a circular clarifying that all affiliated colleges should complete first-term examinations for their first-year batches by January 9, 2021. “Most exams will be completed by this month-end, so it makes sense to start the new term in January. We are still assuming that classes will continue online and they will resume accordingly,” said the principal of a suburban college.