MUMBAI, March 15 -- Two discussions occupied the spotlight after the University of Mumbai's (MU) senate approved a Rs.1054.12 crore budget for the financial year 2026-27 on Saturday: the demand to confer a posthumous Doctor of Literature (D.Litt) on freedom fighter Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, and an inquiry into statements allegedly made by Dr Deepak Pawar, professor in the department of Political Science and head of the Marathi Abhyas Kendra, who has opposed the implementation of the three-language policy from class 1 in the state. The proposal to confer D.Litt on Savarkar was moved by senate member Sheetal Devrukhkar-Shet, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) representative. Devrukhkar-Shet said her proposal was backed "by the fact that Savarkar had made significant contributions not only to India's freedom struggle but also Marathi literature and social reform". She argued that the proposal was not politically motivated, pointing out that several universities in the country and world had conferred posthumous honorary degrees on prominent personalities such as Dr B R Ambedkar, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. While senate members, including Yuva Sena (UBT), supported the proposal, the Bombay University and College Teachers' Union remained neutral. Pro-vice-chancellor Ajay Bhamre said decisions regarding honorary degrees must follow the guidelines laid down under the Maharashtra Public Universities Act, 2016. "The university will examine the proposal through the prescribed process before bringing it before the Senate again for a final decision," said Bhamre. Devrukhkar-Shet also moved a suspension motion against Pawar, "as he had criticised chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at a public event organised by a political party". She argued that government employees must follow service conduct rules, questioning if Pawar had taken the university's permission before attending the event. She also questioned if "provocative remarks violate the code of conduct for public servants". The motion was, however, opposed by several senate members. Yuva Sena (UBT) member Pradeep Sawant, and teachers' representatives Vandana Mahajan and Chandrashekhar Kulkarni said, "The senate should focus on students' issues rather than debates over a professor's public comments." Other members argued that raising such matters in the senate could undermine academic freedom. The discussion ended with Bhamre saying that the senate "could only make recommendations to the administration" and that it was up to them to act in compliance with the rules. The budget meeting, chaired by vice-chancellor Ravindra Kulkarni, presented a financial plan with a deficit of about Rs.172.63 crore, focusing on research, academic excellence, student support, global collaboration, and future planning. The university has allocated Rs.75 crore for initiatives aimed at academic and governance excellence, including promoting research, internationalisation of higher education, and student development programmes. Several infrastructure projects have also been proposed across campuses, including the second phase of the international students' hostel, a 50-bed girls' hostel under PM-USHA, and renovation of buildings such as the Jawaharlal Nehru Library, Tilak Bhavan, Shankar Rao Chavan Hall and Jagannath Shankarseth Hall at the Fort campus. MU has also decided to introduce a mental health support initiative for students with the help of its psychology department. Kulkarni said, "Considering the mental stress on students, we have decided to focus on their wellbeing. We will provide online support initially and later conduct physical counselling sessions. The initiative will also be linked with the Career Guidance Centre so that we can map students' career growth. We have made provisions for this in the budget."...