MUMBAI, Jan. 14 -- Colleges and students will be penalised for mistakes or delays in registering admission details on the Mumbai University portal during the admission process for the academic year 2025-26. The decision was taken after several colleges failed to submit student data despite repeated reminders. According to a circular issued on January 6, colleges will be fined based on the number of students whose admission data is missing or incorrectly submitted. If errors are found in the cases of one to five students, the college will be fined Rs.2 lakh in addition to double the tuition fees of each student. In addition, each student will be fined Rs.5,000. If the number of such cases is between six and 20 students, the fine for the college will increase to Rs.5 lakh, plus double the tuition fee per student. The Rs.5,000 fine on each student will remain the same. For colleges where errors are found in the admission data of 21 to 40 students, the penalty will rise to Rs.10 lakh along with double the tuition fees. In such cases, the university will also reduce the college's admission capacity by 25% from the 2026-27 academic year, and appoint an inquiry committee. The same student fine of Rs.5,000 will apply. If more than 41 students are affected, the college will be fined Rs.10 lakh along with three times the tuition fees, its intake capacity will be reduced by 25%, and an inquiry committee will be set up. The circular also states that no new admission requests will be entertained unless the fines are paid. In case a college repeats the mistake, its admission capacity will be cut by 50% for 2027-28, and if it happens for the third time, admissions could be altogether stopped. The Maharashtra Union of Secular Teachers (MUST) has opposed the decision. In a letter to the university vice-chancellor, the union said the penalties are unfair, anti-student and harmful to the education system. Vijay Pawar, chairperson of the union, pointed out that a Rs.5K fine is especially harsh for first-generation students. "Heavy fines on colleges are affecting their academic functioning and creating tension between teachers and students. We are demanding that the penalties be withdrawn," Pawar added....