BUCTU, Yuva Sena protestors stage sit-in, disrupt proceedings for over two hours
Protests and sloganeering by the Yuva Sena and the BUCTU marked the Mumbai University Senate meeting on Saturday
Mumbai University’s Senate on Saturday approved a budget outlay of R968.17 crore for the financial year 2025–26, marking a 9.52 per cent increase from the previous year’s R884 crore. The session, however, was marred by high drama, protests, sloganeering and a sit-in demonstration by members of the Yuva Sena (UBT) and the Bombay University and College Teachers’ Union (BUCTU). Despite this, the budget was passed by a majority vote.
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The annual budget session, held at the Sir Cowasjee Jehangir Convocation Hall on the university’s Fort campus, witnessed heightened security as chaos unfolded during the proceedings. Protesting members disrupted the session for over two hours, staging a sit-in in the well of the house. They alleged procedural violations, claiming the budget had neither been formally discussed nor approved in the university’s Management Council (MC) meeting, as required.
This year, the budget session was held with full strength of senate including the elected member of teachers and graduate constituency after a gap of two years owing to delay in elections.
Dispute sparks outrage
Sheetal Devrukhkar-Sheth, a Senate member from the Yuva Sena, raised a point of order before the budget presentation, stating: “Since the passing of the budget was not explicitly listed on the Management Council meeting agenda held on March 12, it was not discussed, and therefore should not be presented before the Senate.”
This led to a sit-in protest by Yuva Sena and BUCTU members, which continued until the end of the session. The disruption forced the meeting to be adjourned for 15 minutes after lunch. Ahead of the session, Yuva Sena members also staged a protest outside the varsity’s Fort campus, waving placards and raising issues such as incomplete infrastructure, errors in evaluation, and spelling mistakes on students’ marksheets.
University denies allegations
University officials, however, maintained that due process was followed. Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr. Ajay Bhamare clarified: “The minutes of the previous Management Council meeting were included in the agenda, and the budget was part of those minutes. Therefore, the discussion did take place.”
Several MC members present during the Senate meeting supported this claim, and amid the ongoing protest, the budget was presented and passed within minutes, as demanded by the remaining Senate members. Governor-nominated Senate member Dhanesh Sawant criticised the conduct of the protesting members.
“Those disrupting the decorum of the house and ignoring the Vice-Chancellor’s repeated requests to maintain discipline are doing so for vested interests,” he said. He and other members demanded action against the 18 Senate members (10 from Yuva Sena and 8 from BUCTU) who participated in the protest. Yuva Sena leader and Management Council member Pradeep Sawant questioned the university’s transparency.
“As per regulations, MC members must be given the budget draft at least seven days in advance. This year, it was shared just a day before the meeting, leaving no time for meaningful discussion. Moreover, the Senate agenda made no mention of the budget,” he stated, adding, “We submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor demanding the matter be brought to the attention of the Governor.”
Budget highlights and financials
The approved budget includes several initiatives focused on academic excellence, inclusivity, research, and global outreach. Key allocations include:
Quality, Inclusivity, and Excellence (Academics)
Rs 10crore
Governance Reforms under Quality Initiatives
Rs 35 crore
Research and Innovation Culture
Rs 15 crore
Student Support and Progression
Rs 5 crore
Alumni Connect & University-Industry Linkages
Rs 5 crore
Internationalisation and Global Citizenship Education
Rs 5 crore
As per the budget document, the number of affiliated colleges has increased from 743 in 2015–16 to 914 in 2024–25 an 18.71% rise. Student enrolment also grew from 7.15 lakh to over 8.04 lakh, an increase of 11.14% over the same period. The revised estimate for 2024-25 shows a deficit of R82.60 crore, down from the original R121.60 crore. However, the net deficit for the 2025–26 estimate is projected at Rs 147.63 cr
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