The new pattern differs from the old one in both format and marking scheme. While the old pattern is a 60-mark question paper, the new one comprises questions of 75 marks. The error came to light when a few students noticed the discrepancy. The university acted promptly by sending the correct question papers to all exam centres via email and instructed them to provide additional time to compensate for the disruption.

According to many of them, the damage was already done. A professor from a college in Mumbai, said, “Once the error was pointed out, the university replaced the paper immediately and provided extra time. However, the initial half-hour delay due to the mistake still affected the students. Even with extra time, the stress caused by the mix-up was significant.”

This incident, many pointed out, was not an isolated case as errors in question papers during law exams at Mumbai University have become more frequent of late. A principal of a law college, said, “These mistakes include incorrect questions, unclear options, and discrepancies between paper patterns. There are various types of paper patterns that cause what happened on Wednesday. Thankfully, it was a mistake with the old pattern which means the number of impacted students was less. However, these confusing situations often lead to unnecessary stress for students on the day of the exam.”

A few professors said that Mumbai University has called for a meeting of paper setters and examiners on Thursday to address these recurring errors.

When asked about Wednesday’s exam fiasco, a Mumbai university official said, “Although the number of students affected on Wednesday was relatively small, the university took immediate steps to rectify the situation. Students were given extra time to avoid any loss of marks.” About the meeting on Thursday, the official said, “It was already planned but will now likely include discussions on how to prevent such errors in the future.”