Mumbai University Revenue Drops as Autonomous Colleges Surge to 135
Mumbai University is facing a sharp contraction in its traditional revenue streams as an increasing number of affiliated colleges secure autonomous status or break away to form independent universities, cutting off recurring affiliation and examination fees. The projected deficit in the university's annual budget has more than doubled over the past decade.
The number of autonomous higher education colleges under the university has risen from 62 in 2023 to 135 now in just four years. Major institutions with large commerce cohorts, including Jai Hind, NM, Mithibai, Sydenham, and HR, no longer contribute to the university's revenue as they once did because they have turned autonomous or joined separate universities. Affiliated colleges are required to pay a recurring affiliation fee of Rs 50,000 annually for every unaided programme, but this fee is waived once autonomy is granted. Since autonomous colleges manage their own testing, the university also loses regular examination fees, though it currently retains a contested 25% share.
The shift is reflected in enrolment figures for final-year Bachelor of Commerce (TYBCom) exams, the university's largest cohort. University data shows that while 74,863 students appeared for final-year BCom exams in 2018, that figure dropped to 45,758 this March, marking a nearly 40% decline over eight years. University senate members noted that alongside autonomy, students have also migrated to self-financed programmes such as BMS and BAF.
Enrolment at the university's Centre for Distance and Online Education, previously a low-cost revenue generator, has also plummeted. Student numbers fell from over 80,000 in the early 2020s to 24,000 last year as private institutions expanded structured online offerings, while students at the university faced delayed study materials, teacher shortages, exam errors, and late results.
University officials stated that expenditures have grown steadily with inflation and the transition to the Seventh Pay Commission over the last decade. Education experts noted that national policies increasingly encourage colleges to become independent entities and push public universities to focus on research, industry consultancies, and commercialised patents rather than relying primarily on examination and affiliation fees.
