Extra internal marks will be scaled down

Yogita Rao TNN 

Mumbai: Mumbai University’s academic body on Monday accepted a review committee’s proposal to scale down internal assessment marks if they are in excess of 20% in the external test. The council also accepted another proposal changing policies of promotion to the final year in the new credit-based semester system. 
    The review committee, headed by pro-vice-chancellor Naresh Chandra, proposed a scaling down of ‘spiked’ internal assessment scores. The proposal was accepted by the council, but will be implemented only after amendments in the regulation will be officially passed at the next academic council meeting. The proposal was to scale down internal marks if they are 20% or above in excess of external test marks, which will be done using software. 
    From the next academic year, all three years in the degree course will follow the creditbased semester system. Since colleges will be responsible for such a high percentage of marks, it will be easy to keep a check on colleges giving away marks generously. A principal said the move will ensure uniformity in the internal assessment system, which was criticized last year. 
    The council also accepted changes in the ATKT policy. Students will be promoted to the final year only if they clear the first year and have ATKTs in some subjects in the second year, or if they have ATKTs in some subjects in the first year and clear the second year. This will be introduced after amendments in the manual of the credit-based choice system. In the original manual, students can get ATKTs in two subjects in each semester. 
    Despite the teachers’ strike, the academic council decided to start the new term as usual from June 10. The dean of commerce, Madhu Nair, said in at least 20 out of 50 centres, more than 75% assessment was over. In very few centres, less than 25% is over. “Papers from these centres will be directed to others,” he added. 
    Meanwhile, the teachers are trying to approach legislators to convince the government to arrive at a negotiated settlement. Union representative Tapati Mukhopadhyay said, “In an agitation of this magnitude, the government has to meet us and arrive at a negotiable settlement. We are ready for it.”


Source:::: The Times of India, 30-04-2013, p.03, http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIM&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW