Mumbai: At least 18 law colleges affiliated with Mumbai University have moved the Bombay High Court, challenging the university’s decision to substantially reduce their student intake for this year’s admissions, while also imposing penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh.The university’s management council decided to act against 50 of the 110 affiliated colleges for not having an approved principal or approved teachers on their rolls. Some of the 52 BEd colleges, which have faced similar action, have moved court too. Additionally, a public interest litigation (PIL) has also been filed opposing the university’s decision as it would lead to a loss of seats for students.While 16 law colleges filed a joint petition, two filed independently. On Friday, however, the court directed the 16 colleges to file independent petitions, as all of them had different issues. Some colleges claimed that they recently got the names of the university’s selection committee members for appointment of teachers and that they would require some time to fill the posts with approved teachers. They also mentioned that the university did not issue any warning before initiating the action. Some colleges claimed that they had earlier received affiliation certificates from the university, which are required for participating in the centralised admission process (CAP), but were later declared null and void.A university official, however, said that these colleges had given an undertaking last year that they would fulfill all the requirements and therefore, action was initiated this year, after they failed to do so. This is the first time the MU has taken such stringent action against affiliated colleges for failing to appoint approved teachers.While earlier last month, 30 colleges were debarred from this year’s admission process, they were later allowed to participate with a reduced intake and fine, in a notice issued on July 20. Thirty-nine law colleges were issued notices, slashing their intake capacity by 50% and imposition of a fine of Rs 10 lakh. In the second category, in 11 colleges, which have less than 50% approved teachers, the intake was slashed by 25% with a fine of Rs 5 lakh.While some of the B Ed colleges have decided to move court against the university’s decision, many have decided to pay the fine and join the admission process with the reduced intake. A principal said that the university initiated action just days before the admission process commenced. “If we wait for relief from the court, we will lose out on students for the 75% intake too. So our management has recommended taking the affiliation certificates with the reduced intake, as of now,” said the principal.
