Mumbai: Bindu Goswami (name changed), a BA student from a city college, along with many of her classmates, planned to pursue the fourth year of the undergraduate programme. When she enrolled in 2023-24, the course was marketed as a four-year degree with the flexibility to exit after three years. Aspiring to build a career in clinical psychology, she was convinced that the four-year honours programme would help her academic and global career prospects.In April, though, the college informed students it would not be able to admit all eligible aspirants to the fourth year. Faced with limited options, Goswami is now considering taking a gap year.While Mumbai University was among the first few universities in the country to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) in its entirety in 2023-24, the rollout of its four-year undergraduate programme for the first batch has fallen short of expectations. Initially, colleges reported limited student interest, with only around 15%-20% of each batch opting to pursue the fourth year. However, even colleges that were willing to offer the programme to these students were unable to do so after the university issued its implementation guidelines.In April, a college principal said, instead of devising a way to make the implementation smoother across colleges, the university stated that colleges with postgraduate departments in those majors will only be allowed to offer the fourth year. “The govt and the UGC policy recommended that the university should come up with a mechanism for courses where colleges do not have postgraduate departments. Instead, the university made it mandatory for autonomous colleges to seek permission from the university’s academic council to start PG programmes, which it never did to date,” said the principal.MU has more than 950 affiliated colleges, including around 130 autonomous ones. When NEP was introduced in 2023-24, it was implemented only in the autonomous colleges at the time, estimated to be around 65-70. While less than 10% of the university’s affiliated colleges have their first NEP batch reaching the fourth year this academic year, these colleges account for a large share of the university’s student population.In another circular, the MU directed colleges to restrict the intake of fourth year within the sanctioned capacity of the PG programmes. “With this condition, colleges will be forced to prioritise their PG admissions, as we would not want our seats to go vacant in the second year,” said a principal.Principal of Jai Hind College Vijay Dabholkar said the college planned the fourth year for self-financed programmes, even tie-ups with foreign universities, as initially there was no mandate on having PG departments. “But when this was made a prerequisite, we decided not to offer it this year. It was a setback for students who were interested. We do not wish to disturb our master’s programmes, which are doing well,” he said.At Mithibai College, the administration divided the PG intake proportionately for master’s students and the ones who are keen on exiting after fourth year. “There was a demand for courses such as psychology, microbiology and computer science, but we had to limit the intake,” said principal Krutika Desai. She also is unsure why the fourth-year admissions are being considered as fresh admissions and students’ details are being uploaded on the portal when it is expected to be a natural progression.Anushree Lokur, principal of Ramnarain Ruia College, said the college has reserved a few seats across all postgraduate programmes, as most seats are filled during the master’s admissions process. “For many courses, the number of applications for the fourth-year honours is low. In others, such as psychology and some science programmes, we have seen a decent interest among students, but we are unable to accommodate everyone because very few seats remain after master’s admissions,” Lokur said.A university official, though, said there was not much demand and for students who are keen on pursuing the fourth-year honours programme, there are other options, including the Mumbai University departments, where seats were available. He added detailed guidelines for courses without PG departments will be issued next year and approval will be granted in advance, when a majority of colleges will have their fourth-year batch.

The second board examination marks the first year of CBSE’s new two-exam system for Class X

Mumbai: Nearly six in every 10 Class X students who reappeared for CBSE‘s first-ever second board examination improved their scores, pushing the overall pass percentage for the 2026 batch to 96.78%. The board on Saturday declared the results of the exam, which saw more than 6.63 lakh candidates appear, including more than 5.13 lakh seeking to better their performance in the main examination.Of the 6,64,027 candidates who registered for the second board examination, 6,63,777 appeared. As many as 5,13,955 students took the examination to improve their marks after the main board exams, with 3,08,095 of them — 59.95% — successfully bettering their performance. Another 1,49,822 students appeared in the compartment category, of whom 78,503 passed, taking the compartment pass percentage to 52.40%, up from 48.68% last year. Following the combined results of the main and second examinations, the overall Class X pass percentage for 2026 stood at 96.78%.The second board examination marks the first year of CBSE’s new two-exam system for Class X, introduced in line with reforms proposed under the National Education Policy 2020. Under the revised format, the main board examinations were conducted from Feb 17 to March 11, while the second examination was held from May 15 to 21. Regular students were given an additional opportunity to improve their scores in selected subjects, with the better of the two performances being considered for the final result.“The results have come out quite late at night, so the details aren’t clear yet, but overall the results have been very good and students have done significantly better,” said Hari Vashisht, former principal of DPS Navi Mumbai and current principal of DPS Noida.The declaration of the second board examination results comes after much of this year’s admission cycle has already run its course. In Maharashtra, four rounds of First Year Junior College admissions have been completed and classes have already begun. The improved scores are likely to have limited impact on admissions for the current academic year, even though they will be reflected in students’ final board results.

The tribunal also rejected the insurer’s attempt to shift blame to potholes, loose sand or road conditions

Mumbai: In a motor accident compensation claim that placed a 15-year-old injured son against his mother, the registered owner of the two-wheeler, the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal held that both the mother, Madhavi Tavale, and Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited were jointly and severally liable to pay the son approximately Rs 40 lakh (including interest) in compensation. The Worli resident who suffered permanent weakness on his left side due to the injuries was riding pillion with his cousin when the two-wheeler skidded while negotiating a curve, and both were thrown off and hit a roadside cement barrier. The tribunal directed the insurer—which held a valid policy for the vehicle at the time of the accident—to deposit the entire award amount.The tribunal rejected the insurer’s argument that there was collusion because the owner was the victim’s mother and the rider was his cousin. The tribunal found no evidence of fabrication and held that the medical record created a direct chain between the accident, severe head injury and later neurological disability. The tribunal granted the insurer liberty to pursue other independent legal remedies, but explicitly denied any right of recovery under the current award, as no policy breach had been proven.The tribunal also rejected the insurer’s attempt to shift blame to potholes, loose sand or road conditions. The tribunal held, “The presence of loose sand, potholes or an uneven surface does not grant immunity to a rider who fails to keep the motorcycle under control.” The tribunal added, “Both indicate that the road surface required a rider to slow down and exercise heightened care.”The tribunal accepted that non-wearing of a helmet was unsafe and unlawful, but said the insurer had not proved through medical evidence that a helmet would have prevented or materially reduced the injuries in this particular accident.Manish Tavale moved the tribunal through his father in Nov 2019. The claim arose from an accident on March 23, 2019, near Bapdev Mandir at Kalote on the old Mumbai–Pune Highway in Raigad district. Manish Tavale, then 15 years old, was travelling as a pillion rider on a TVS Jupiter being ridden by his cousin Shubham Dhamapurkar.Manish was first taken to Gandhi Hospital, Panvel, where records showed that he was admitted unconscious and gasping. The tribunal noted that the medical papers showed severe head injury, bone fractures, and neurological complications. He required intubation, ventilator support and intensive-care treatment.The tribunal found that the accident and the involvement of the insured vehicle were proved through police papers, hospital records, the registration record and insurance documents.The insurer had argued that the accident took place because of a defective road and that the state or road-maintaining authority should have been made a party. The tribunal rejected that objection and held that the injured claimant could proceed against the negligent rider, owner and insurer. The tribunal said, “Even where defective road conditions constitute a concurrent cause, the rider remains liable if his failure to regulate speed or control materially contributed to the accident.”The tribunal further observed, “High speed is not an abstract numerical concept; a speed may be negligent even if not excessive in kilometres per hour when the road is curved, sandy, uneven or otherwise hazardous.”The insurer had also argued that Manish was not wearing a helmet and that compensation should be reduced. The tribunal accepted that non-wearing of a helmet was unsafe and unlawful, but said the insurer had not proved through medical evidence that a helmet would have prevented or materially reduced the injuries in this particular accident. The tribunal held, “Non-wearing of a helmet was undoubtedly unsafe and unlawful. Yet a finding of contributory negligence affecting civil compensation cannot rest upon a general presumption alone.”The tribunal added, “In the absence of such evidence, no deduction from the compensation can be made merely because the applicant was not wearing a helmet.”The insurance company also raised a defence that the rider did not have a valid driving licence and that the owner had breached the policy conditions. The tribunal held, “Mere absence of a driving licence from the claimant’s record does not prove that no licence existed.”The tribunal directed that 30% of the compensation, with accrued interest and costs, be transferred to Manish’s bank account upon verification. The remaining 70% is to be kept in fixed deposits in a nationalised bank for staggered periods of one to five years, with quarterly interest payable to him. The tribunal barred loans, advances, liens or premature encashment without permission, except for genuine medical, educational, rehabilitation, housing or livelihood needs.

Mumbai: In a suo motu action, Bombay High Court took up the matter of an assault on doctors of a civic hospital in Dombivli and stayed the bail granted to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and other co-accused. The HC directed Mhatre, who was already released, to surrender by July 19 by 5 pm. The co-accused was still behind bars and would remain there, the HC division bench of acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad said. The HC said it was “disturbed” on reading the news about the alleged incident.Police arrested Mhatre for allegedly slapping and punching a doctor and assaulting a resident medical officer. A local court granted Mhatre bail on Tuesday, July 14.The HC said, “…in the labour ward of Shastri Nagar Hospital, Dombivli, a lady doctor and two male doctors were physically brutally assaulted by persons, namely, Ramesh Mhatre, Ramesh Pawar, Pramod alias Prakash Nikam and Akshay Karande… There has been an uproar from the masses… to the beating of doctors on duty. The present incident is more grave because a lady doctor was also assaulted and it is reported that she has resigned out of fear,” HC said in its detailed order.“We find from the order granting bail that the magistrate did not even notice that the accused was not even interrogated after recording his first statement,” said the ACJ-led bench at a special hearing on Saturday.The bench, after hearing Maharashtra Advocate General Milind Sathe, who said since the HC has taken note of the matter an appeal be made to ensure doctors don’t go on proposed strike, agreed and requested aggrieved doctors to hold off on any strike or …protest as patients would be affected.“We would appeal to all the doctors who are in govt service or working in the municipal corporation hospitals or state instrumentalities to reconsider their decision of commencing the strike in the larger interest of the society and considering service to mankind,” said ACJ Ghuge.Doctors, especially those working in civic and govt hospitals, decided to resort to a strike on July 20.On the issue of bail granted to Mhatre, the HC said, “In a case where accused Mhatre led more accused and attacked three doctors in a municipal hospital, showing his fury against doctors, it could not have been taken lightly by the magistrate, more so in the backdrop of 18 offences registered against him in the past.”The HC said, “After considering the submissions of the learned APP and the learned Advocate General, we have to consider as to whether the learned magistrate has really taken into account the antecedents of number accused number 1 and the history of the offences committed by him.”“Even though he was acquitted in 17 cases, the court ought to have considered the fact that he was named in 18 cases, some of which were of very serious and heinous nature,” the bench remarked.Considering the overall impact of the conduct of Mhatre and the effect that his actions have had on the medical professionals, especially the doctors working in municipal and govt hospitals and are employees of the state govt, “prima facie we do not find that the magistrate could have passed an order which does not even deal with the antecedents of the accused and the assault he caused on the three doctors,” HC said in court at hearing.The HC issued an operative part of the order that said, “Considering the gravity and seriousness of the issue and the perversity noticed in the impugned orders dated July 14.07. 2026, and July 17.07. 2026, both the orders stand stayed and shall be kept in abeyance until further hearing and orders.”The HC directed Mhatre to surrender to the Vishnunagar police station, Dombivli West, before July 19, 5 pm in order to be remanded to magisterial custody. If he does not surrender or is not traceable, the authorities would be at liberty to follow the due procedure, including for initiating steps for attaching his immovable properties, directed the HC.The HC referred to a list of newspaper articles and said a compilation of newspaper items pertaining to the physical assault against one lady and two male doctors published between July 8 and July 18 in publications including The Times of India is taken on record.The HC posted the matter next on July 22.

Mumbai: Bindu Goswami (name changed), a BA student from a city college, along with many of her classmates, planned to pursue the fourth year of the undergraduate programme. When she enrolled in 2023-24, the course was marketed as a four-year degree with the flexibility to exit after three years. Aspiring to build a career in clinical psychology, she was convinced that the four-year honours programme would help her academic and global career prospects.In April, though, the college informed students it would not be able to admit all eligible aspirants to the fourth year. Faced with limited options, Goswami is now considering taking a gap year.While Mumbai University was among the first few universities in the country to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) in its entirety in 2023-24, the rollout of its four-year undergraduate programme for the first batch has fallen short of expectations. Initially, colleges reported limited student interest, with only around 15%-20% of each batch opting to pursue the fourth year. However, even colleges that were willing to offer the programme to these students were unable to do so after the university issued its implementation guidelines.In April, a college principal said, instead of devising a way to make the implementation smoother across colleges, the university stated that colleges with postgraduate departments in those majors will only be allowed to offer the fourth year. “The govt and the UGC policy recommended that the university should come up with a mechanism for courses where colleges do not have postgraduate departments. Instead, the university made it mandatory for autonomous colleges to seek permission from the university’s academic council to start PG programmes, which it never did to date,” said the principal.MU has more than 950 affiliated colleges, including around 130 autonomous ones. When NEP was introduced in 2023-24, it was implemented only in the autonomous colleges at the time, estimated to be around 65-70. While less than 10% of the university’s affiliated colleges have their first NEP batch reaching the fourth year this academic year, these colleges account for a large share of the university’s student population.In another circular, the MU directed colleges to restrict the intake of fourth year within the sanctioned capacity of the PG programmes. “With this condition, colleges will be forced to prioritise their PG admissions, as we would not want our seats to go vacant in the second year,” said a principal.Principal of Jai Hind College Vijay Dabholkar said the college planned the fourth year for self-financed programmes, even tie-ups with foreign universities, as initially there was no mandate on having PG departments. “But when this was made a prerequisite, we decided not to offer it this year. It was a setback for students who were interested. We do not wish to disturb our master’s programmes, which are doing well,” he said.At Mithibai College, the administration divided the PG intake proportionately for master’s students and the ones who are keen on exiting after fourth year. “There was a demand for courses such as psychology, microbiology and computer science, but we had to limit the intake,” said principal Krutika Desai. She also is unsure why the fourth-year admissions are being considered as fresh admissions and students’ details are being uploaded on the portal when it is expected to be a natural progression.Anushree Lokur, principal of Ramnarain Ruia College, said the college has reserved a few seats across all postgraduate programmes, as most seats are filled during the master’s admissions process. “For many courses, the number of applications for the fourth-year honours is low. In others, such as psychology and some science programmes, we have seen a decent interest among students, but we are unable to accommodate everyone because very few seats remain after master’s admissions,” Lokur said.A university official, though, said there was not much demand and for students who are keen on pursuing the fourth-year honours programme, there are other options, including the Mumbai University departments, where seats were available. He added detailed guidelines for courses without PG departments will be issued next year and approval will be granted in advance, when a majority of colleges will have their fourth-year batch.

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday came out in support of activist Sonam Wangchuk and the students’ agitation, accusing the Centre of displaying “indifference” towards the ongoing protest and failing to engage with the demonstrators despite the agitation continuing for nearly three weeks.Addressing a press conference, Pawar said the future of thousands of students was at stake and urged the Union government to arrive at an appropriate solution instead of remaining a “mute spectator”.“The protesters have been demanding that the Centre find a suitable resolution, but the government is merely watching from the sidelines. As a political party, we will continue to support Sonam Wangchuk’s demands,” Pawar said.Expressing concern over Wangchuk’s prolonged hunger strike, the veteran leader said efforts should be made to ensure that the fast ends at the earliest, while making it clear that the larger movement should continue until the issues raised by the protesters are addressed.Pawar said leaders from the Congress, the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and several organisations associated with social justice movements had extended support to the agitation.He also criticised the Centre for what he described as its lack of outreach to the protesters.“The protesters’ demands are legitimate and are in the interest of students. Even after 20 days, the Central government has not sent its representatives to the protest site. This reflects its indifference,” Pawar said.Accusing the government of ignoring the issue, Pawar remarked that the Centre was behaving “as if it had blindfolded itself” to the concerns being raised by Wangchuk and the protesters.The Rajya Sabha MP said he would raise the matter in Parliament and seek priority discussion on the issue.Sonam Wangchuk has been leading the protest over issues concerning Ladakh, with students and supporters joining the agitation. Pawar’s intervention adds to the political backing the movement has received from opposition parties, even as they urge the Centre to initiate dialogue and find an early resolution.