After Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on his television show on Sunday that universities in the State should update and revise their syllabus every five years, professors from Mumbai University said that placing importance on updating syllabus is a priority, but that there are flaws in the examination system which prevent optimal learning.
“All three years of undergraduate as well as postgraduate syllabi are updated every three years,” said Nilakshi Roy, English professor and member of the University’s English subcommittee of the Board of Studies. “We start bottom up: first year, then second year, then third year. So every three years, we have a revised syllabus.” The focus for English professors is to include new texts which offer varied perspectives: Dalit, feminist, migrant and diaspora writing are examples. The Board of Studies also holds syllabus workshops every semester across the State.
However, the issue with keeping learning updated lies in implementation, for example the exam system, says Lakshmy Ravishankar, chemistry professor and former member of academic committees on third year BSc and Master’s degree courses. “The exam papers for science at the university are arranged such that entire units form the textbook can be left out as optional questions. When students come to the postgradaute level, they don’t know key concepts from their third year of undergraduate studies.”
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Autonomous colleges such as St. Xavier’s have similar academic bodies to decide syllabus. “We have a Board of Studies within our colleges, a mandate by the central University Grants Commission, which reviews syllabus yearly,” said principal Agnelo Menezes.