Tedious procedure and impolite staff at Mumbai University drives foreign students away; Pune pays special attention to them
Tedious procedure and impolite staff at Mumbai University drives foreign students away; Pune pays special attention to them
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It's that time of the year again. Anxious students make a beeline for admission to colleges. But foreigners give the city a miss. They prefer Pune over Mumbai because of the tedious admission procedure, impolite staff and lack of basic amenities here.
"The stringent eligibility conditions for foreign students discourage them. Also, the Mumbai University needs to give a crash course to its staff on how to interact with students," said Dr Kanak Rele, director, Nalanda Dance Research Centre the only dance institute affiliated to the Mumbai University. Rele drew comparisons with Pune University that accepted 3,807 foreign students last year as compared to just 87 here.
A single window system exists in Pune where a student can secure admission without doing the rounds of the colleges. Subhash Kate, administrative officer at Pune University, said, "The single window system is only for foreign students. With it, they can also change their college if there is a problem. We have various courses and affiliated colleges as well."
Mumbai University Vice Chancellor Vijay Khole admitted that the education scenario in Mumbai was lacking and said, "A single window system cannot be the only reason for foreign students opting for Pune. They also have better hostel facilities."
T Shiware, principal, Hinduja College, said, "We need to provide good amenities to foreign students and ensure a smooth admission process. Mumbai is an expensive place to stay and that's also a reason why they prefer Pune."
