Mumbai,(The Hindu): Around 70 students of the Mumbai University staged a protest at the Kalina campus on Tuesday to voice their discontent with the delay in announcing results for the sixth semester of the academic year, as well as the irregularities in the re-evaluation process.

The students had earlier protested on October 11, and were assured that results would be declared within six days.

Furious over the failure of the MU to meet yet another deadline, the Student Law Council announced its support to the protest.

The university had earlier said that the delay was owing to misplacement of 1,600 mark sheets. On Tuesday, Controller of Examinations Deepak Vasave said 3,600 mark sheets were missing, which further fanned the students’ ire.

“Our only demand is to get a list of the students whose mark sheets have been misplaced. With the re-evaluation results, it is quite clear that the marks are just being deducted blindly. All those who have applied for re-evaluation have seen a sharp decrease in their marks. How is this possible?” said Abhishek Bhatt, member of the Student Law Council.

Parents, too, were seen protesting alongside their children, saying that the MU has put the future of their children in jeopardy under the pretext of technological advancement.

“My daughter has a learning disability, but has still been scoring better than average in her B.Com exams, getting outstanding grades consistently. This time, in the deciding semester, she has scored an F. She had scored 32 out of 75 marks in her Human Resources Management exam, and after re-evaluation, her score came down to 16. Why should my daughter’s ambitions suffer because of this mess?” said Aarti Rana, whose daughter Dimple is a student in M.L. Dahanukar College in Malad.

Prajakta Hazare, a B.Com student from Hinduja College, said, “I have been preparing for the Common Admission Test (CAT) and have been scoring an ‘outstanding’ grade in all semesters. This semester, I have scored an O in six subjects, but an F in one, with only 16 marks out of 75. All I am asking for is a photocopy and appropriate re-evaluation of the answer paper. My career depends on this result. If I clear the CAT this November, I will still not eligible to pursue an MBA.”

Ms. Hazare has been undergoing therapy to cope with the depression caused by her results. “These six months have been extremely difficult for me. Had it not been for my family, I might have done something extreme by now,” she said.

Mr. Vasave assured the protesters that no mistake on part of the MU would affect the students’ careers, and that results would be declared soon.

Deputy Registrar Dinesh Kamble subsequently announced an extension till October 30 to fill the ATKT (allowed to keep terms) forms, and said the pending results would be declared by the end of the week.