For, while the number of colleges affiliated to the university has gone up from 104 in 1981 to 600 in 2006, while student-strength has gone from 2 lakh to 6 lakh in the same period, the number of teaching and non-teaching staff-members have not kept up. Subsequently, besides sanctioning of teaching posts, the university now wants the state government to approve 1,055 extra posts of non-teaching employees as “granted posts”. Currently, the university is paying from its own funds to maintain these posts.

During the joint board meeting of vice-chancellors, the Mumbai University said it proposes to launch several new study programmes. And, while various authorities have approved them, the university is unable to support these programmes financially due to a paucity of funds.

Furthermore, of the 250 employees working at the Mumbai University Institute of Chemical Technology (UICT), about 140 employees preferred to remain with UICT, while 110 have preferred to remain with Mumbai University. As a result, these 110 have become extra posts for the university establishment.

“Under these circumstances, if the Government of Maharshtra approves the posts and employees working under 128 categories immediately, it would be possible for the university to divert the funds necessary for implementing various educational programmes instead of spending on salary of these extra posts,” says an agenda note from the vice-chancellors’ meeting.

Furthermore, over 6 lakh students appear for various examinations conducted by the university in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg. The university has said it is “very difficult” to declare results within 45 days of the examination as per the Maharashtra University Act, 1994, due to “insufficient non-teaching employees”.

However, it appears that the university may have to continue struggling for some time.

This is because when questioned on whether the government is planning to expedite the process of sanctioning these non-teaching posts, a senior official said the government is still reviewing proposals for sanctioning teaching posts for a few universities. “But we have already asked the universities including the Mumbai University to submit information on non-teaching posts. We are in the process of collecting them and, in due course, these will be submitted to the finance department for consideration,” said the official.