UNFAIR MEANS COMMITTEE:
The Unfair Means Committee (UMC) ensures the integrity and fairness of the examination process by preventing and addressing cases of malpractice. It investigates incidents of unfair means, maintains discipline during examinations, and enforces institutional and university regulations. The committee works to uphold academic honesty and transparency while taking appropriate disciplinary action against violations.
The Unfair Means Inquiry Committee (UMIC) is the statutory disciplinary body responsible for investigating examination malpractice, governed by University of Mumbai Ordinance 5050, Section 87 of the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016, Maharashtra Act XXXI of 1982 (Prevention of Malpractices at University/Board Examinations), UGC Examination Reform Guidelines, and NEP 2020‘s continuous-assessment framework. It follows a strict natural-justice process and applies a standardized, graduated penalty scale based on offense severity.
Rules & Regulations
1) Statutory committee composition — Constituted by the Principal under Ordinance 5050, comprising a senior Convener/Chairperson, 3–5 faculty members across streams, and an optional co-opted legal expert; notably, the invigilator/Exam Chairperson who reported the incident cannot sit as a voting member on that case to avoid conflict of interest.
2) Structured natural-justice procedure — The process must follow: Detection & Seizure → Show-Cause Notice → Personal Hearing (with right to inspect evidence and submit written defense) → Final Order by the Principal under Section 87.
3) Graduated punishment for materials-based offenses — Carrying unauthorized material without copying results in annulment of that paper; possessing and copying from it, or writing on body/clothing/desk, results in annulment of the entire semester examination.
4) Strict electronic device policy — Carrying/using mobile phones, smartwatches, or gadgets (even switched off) results in annulment of the entire semester, plus confiscation of the device.
5) Severe penalties for tampering/misconduct — Smuggling answer books, forging signatures, or misbehavior/threats against supervisors results in annulment plus exclusion from 1–3 subsequent examinations, with misconduct cases also triggering a police complaint under Act XXXI of 1982.
6) Impersonation as the gravest offense — Impersonation results in exclusion of both students for 3–5 additional examinations plus a compulsory FIR.
7) Extension to digital/continuous assessment malpractice — Under NEP 2020, plagiarism in Continuous Internal Assessments (including AI-generated content) and misconduct in online/LMS/remote-proctored exams now fall within UMIC’s scope, per UGC Academic Integrity and Anti-Plagiarism Regulations.
8) Appeal rights and resolution timeline — Students may appeal to the College Grievance Redressal Committee (CGRR) or the Board of Examinations, University of Mumbai; all cases must be resolved within 30–45 days from the end of the exam session.