Members of the Maharashtra Students’ Law Association (MASLA) went on an indefinite hunger strike on Monday to protest the Mumbai University (MU), which has not been taking into consideration requests that are in lieu with the welfare of its students. The hunger strike was called off at 10.30 p.m., after they got a letter from the Vice Chancellor.
“They have asked us to give them 20 days. If they fail to make changes in this time, we will continue the strike from the 21st day,” Sunil Devare, Konkan region president of MASLA said.
The protest was carried out outside Examination House in Kalina. Mr. Devare, along with MASLA founder president Siddharth Ingle, sought to put pressure on the university to accept their demands and make necessary changes to improve the system followed by it.
The Association has asked for three changes in the current system.
One is the printing of the question papers in Marathi as well as English for Master of Law (LLM), Bachelor of Legal Science (BLS), and the Common Entrance Test (CET) for law students.
“A lot of students coming from rural areas find it difficult to appear for examinations since the paper is in English. Hence, we have asked for this change to make it easier for them,” Deepa Punjani, advocate and member of MASLA said.
The students also protested against the re-introduction of the 60:40 evaluation system. Thought the High Court had put a one-year stay order on the University’s request for the 60:40 internal-external marking ratio, it was restarted once the period lapsed.
“We do not have a problem with this marking system. We are protesting the fact that the MU does not have adequate infrastructure facility or staff to accommodate this system. In the one year of the stay order, they could have designed an efficient system to make this method work but we don’t think they have,” Mr. Ingle said.
The members participating in the hunger strike also had to sign a notice proclaiming that they are responsible if any law and order is disrupted at the campus, and will be held in contempt under Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code.
“We hope our demands will bring about an immediate change in the functioning system, otherwise there is no point of having colleges affiliated to a university,” Ms. Punjani said.
