Suhas Raghunath Pednekar appointed Mumbai University Vice-chancellor: Challenges galore for new Vice-Chancellor

Suhas Pednekar is taking charge as the new Vice Chancellor of the University of Mumbai at a time when the university’s reputation has taken a big blow, given the steep slide in rankings besides controversies, posing a challenge to him that few of his predecessors may have had to face, according to officials at the university. Pednekar’s predecessor Sanjay Deshmukh’s decision to switch to onscreen assessment led to an unprecedented delay in announcing the results of lakhs of students and it led to his exit. While technical glitches have been weeded out, problems still persist with results of winter semester exams being delayed.

The new university chief will have to hit the ground running to streamline the examination and assessment systems. The summer semester examinations are now in the last round and the university is now under tremendous pressure to declare results within the 45-day limit stipulated by the Maharashtra Public Universities Act. Pednekar told The Indian Express that holding examinations and declaration of results on time would be his first priority. “It is important to integrate human resources with technology to be able to streamline the exam system,” he said.

Former V-C Bhalchandra Mungekar said, “He will have to face several challenges, the most important and urgent one being to streamline the examination system that has totally collapsed. I wish him all success.”

The new V-C will also have to the work out ways to boost the university’s national and global rankings. Over the past few years, the university’s performance has remained poor consistently. In the rankings released by the National Institute Ranking Framework this year, the university’s position dropped from the 100-150 bracket to the 150-200 bracket. This means the University, which boasts of a rich heritage and a strong alumni, did not make it to the top 100 in the country. The university has also failed to appear in the global rankings of educational institutes.

Pednekar appears to have a plan in place: “I will do a SWOT (Strength Weakness Opportunities Threats) analysis of the situation and then look for a solution,” he said.

Meanwhile, the 160-year-old university has also lost its rating from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) last year. The university was granted Grade A by the NAAC in 2012 — a score valid for five years — which expired on April 20, 2017 as the university failed to apply for re-accreditation in time. NAAC is an autonomous body that grades educational institutes based on their performance, curriculum, evaluation, faculty, and infrastructure. Without a NAAC grade, the University of Mumbai has not only slipped in stature but also lost out on the various grants from central and state governments.

The varsity claimed a deficit of Rs 51.10 crore — a significant drop from last year’s surplus of Rs 52 crore. Without funds, many of the university’s development projects have come to a standstill and Pednekar will have to lead the varsity out of the financial crisis as well.
News Source (Indian Express)