MUMBAI, Nov. 17 -- The academic staff association of the University of Mumbai (MU) has announced a phased protest as long-pending issues are creating unrest among professors and affecting students' academic performance. The University of Mumbai Academic Staff Association (Umasa) has sent a seven-point letter to the vice-chancellor seeking assurance on their demands. Since the administration has not responded, Umasa decided to start the protest. In the first phase, beginning today, teachers will wear black ribbons during work for three days. If the association receives no response, they will protest outside the vice-chancellor's office at Kalina campus from 3-4pm for two days, following which they will start a hunger strike, said Balaji Kendre, chairperson of Umasa. Kendre said the university has not implemented the Career Advancement Scheme for several years. "Around 42 staff members from aided and unaided posts have been waiting for promotion for at least one and a half years," he said. A senior professor said this reduces the number of available PhD guides. "In some departments, students have been waiting for more than a year because new guides are not approved." Another key issue is the delay in issuing No Objection Certificates (NOC) for foreign academic tours. "Many professors are not getting NOCs to attend international conferences. These events help us showcase our work and learn new things. They also contribute to NIRF rankings, but the administration does not give timely approval," Kendre said. Umasa has also raised concerns about the lack of full-time deans for four major faculties. "As per the Maharashtra Public University Act, 2016, the university must appoint full-time deans for humanities, science and technology, commerce, and interdisciplinary studies. Instead, the university continues to appoint in-charge officers," Kendre said. Among the other issues they have raised are pending pension cases, the need for a separate deputy registrar for Academic Appointments and Quality Assurance, and staff shortages. MU authorities were unavailable when HT reached out for their comments....