Sunday 28 September 2014

BSc IT Exam Time Table and Results

This post intends to explain students about when BSc IT exams are scheduled and results are declared. At the end of the post you will find link to the page where you can check result of your university exam.

I assume that you are familiar with examination structure of bsc it and you are aware that for first and second year you appear for college exams and for third and final year you appear for university exams.

College Exams

  • Semester 1 and Semester 3

  • These two semesters starts after summer and typically at the beginning of academic year. Timetable for these examinations is decided by college's examination department and declared at least one month prior to exams. Exams for these semesters are usually programmed in starting of September and results are declared couple of months after examination.

  • Semester 2 and Semester 4

  • These semesters begin in winter usually few weeks after diwali festival. Timetable for this examination is also generally declared before one month from exam date and in most colleges exams are scheduled in mid march.

  • ATKT examination and Results

  • If you know passing rules of bsc it then you are aware about atkt provision. Typically college KT exams are scheduled within 60 days from result declaration which is one month period before regular exams and results are declared within one month after exams. However it is up to college to plan exams and announce results according to their convenience.

University Exams

  • Semester 5

  • Sem V exam is scheduled at the end of October and time table for same is declared one month before examination on Mumbai university's website. You can find time table either in examination section or in announcement section one month before exam. Results of this exam is declared after 2-3 months. ATKT examination of fifth sem takes place just before one or two weeks from regular Sem VI examination. It is cumbersome task if you are appearing fifth Sem atkt exam because you can't cope with amount of course work. Usually in this period you remain busy with internals and project work of sixth semester and it become challenging task to study for subjective atkt exams along with burdensome course work. So if you are appearing for this exam make sure you are not ill managed.

  • Semester 6

  • Sem VI exams are scheduled at the end of April. Time table is declared 4 to 6 weeks before examination and result is declared after 2 months from examination. ATKT exam of sixth sem usually scheduled before regular Sem V exams.

  • Revaluation Results

  • If you apply for revaluation of your answer sheet then I must tell you that you are in very bad position because revaluation system of Mumbai University is very pathetic. It is mandatory for university to declare revaluation result within 45 days from submission of revaluation application but it turned out they don't adhere to it. This creates lots of problems. First is you never get sure beforehand about your reevaluated marks and it become compulsory for you to study that subject along with current semester subjects. Second is on many occasions they don't declare results even before reexamination. It mandate you to appear for re-examination so revaluation application turns out futile. They declare results in stages and if you are lucky enough you get result before reexamination.

Checking Revaluation Results

Since University declares results in stages so it becomes difficult job to keep up with their announcements. So I suggest you to use Google's Advanced Search for your help. Where you can search specific file type (pdf in this case) and specific time period. Try this query for instance.

Saturday 2 August 2014

Revaluation Rules of Mumbai University - BSc IT

In this article we are going talk about revaluation rules of mumbai university in general. The intended audience are Mumbai University's BSc IT students but this rules are applicable in almost every branch of mumbai university.

What is revaluation process ?

When you fail in any subject of any semester or not satisfied with obtained marks in exam then you can apply for revaluation of your mark sheet. In revaluation your paper is rechecked (Reassessed) and marks are recounted. If you want more transparent way to deal with situation then you can also obtain photocopy of your answer book but make sure you understand rules beforehand. Now don't confuse revaluation and photocopy, these are two different cases. If you are applying for revaluation then you will not receive photocopy of your answer paper but you can apply for both at same time by filling two different application forms. Also it is not mandatory to apply for photocopy in order to done revaluation and other way around.

Revaluation rules for students (Applicants) :

  1. You can apply for revaluation of theory subjects only. Revaluation of internal assessment such as practicals, project work is not permitted.

  2. Revaluation is facilitated only for university examination and colleges will not be bound to provide revaluation facility for college examinations.

  3. If you have chosen distance education program to complete graduation then revaluation facility will not be provided from university.

  4. Minimum marks required for revaluation : You can only apply for reval if you have secured at least 20% of the total marks. Suppose it is 100 marks theory paper then you must secure marks grater than or equal to 20 in that subject to become eligible for revaluation.

  5. Revaluation for passed candidates : If you have passed given subject but obtained marks are not up to your expectation then you can apply for reeval.

    1. How to apply for revaluation


    2. Take revaluation application form from your college's examination department. If you could not get it from college then you can get it from IDOL office.

    3. Fees : Application form for revaluation will cost you Rs 500. From this fee Rs 450 will be actual fee and Rs 50 will be administrative expense for college. Reserved candidates will get 50% discount given that they have attached caste certificate along with application.

    4. You can pay fees by cash or by demand draft. For demand draft you have to draw it in the favor of college's principle. However it is advised to enquirer details in examination office before drawing demand draft.

    5. Application Deadline : You can only apply for revaluation within 7 days from result declaration.

    6. Please make sure you have correctly filled every required field in form and attached required document before submitting application because if any error is found in form during application processing then application will be rejected without informing reasons of rejection and you will not get second chance to apply.

  6. It is expected from university to declare revaluation result within 45 working days from date of received application.

  7. When Marks are Changed : If after revaluation your marks increased or decreased by 10% (Excluding grace if any) only then your marks will be subject to change otherwise your previous marks will be treated as final marks. Off course you can apply for reexamination if you did not get desired results.
    Example : In 100 marks paper you scored 20 marks and out of them 4 Marks are grace marks so you actually scored 16 marks then 10% of 16 marks will be 1.6. Now according to university rules fractions will be discarded and hence to get reevaluated result your change in marks after revaluation should be by 1 mark. (either +1 or -1)

  8. If you passed after revaluation then your result will be accepted as passed and appropriate class will be awarded. So if you pass in revaluation you will get class based on your new total marks.

  9. University will not facilitate photocopy of reevaluated answer sheet neither the revaluation of already reevaluated answer book will be done.

Rules to be abode by colleges

  1. College should provide application forms immediately after result declaration.

  2. College should charge Rs 500 for form and from that college will get Rs 50 per form as administrative compensation.

  3. After receiving application forms college should submit them within 14 working days from results declaration to university.

  4. Principal of college will be responsible for appointing teachers for revaluation if asserted by university's examination authority.

These are the rules as prescribed by university. If you want to be more comprehensive and want to understand nook and cranny of revaluation process then I suggest you to go through these rules (Part 2) as stated by university in which you can get answers to questions like :

  • What about further admission if I apply for revaluation ? To avoid ATKT and passing dilemma first make sure you understand passing rules.
  • What procedure is followed while granting reevaluated marks by examiners ?
  • What action is taken if original paper examiner found reckless ?
  • How examiners for revaluation are appointed and what are the rules which I should know if I were appointed as examiner (For Teachers and Examiners) ?

Monday 28 July 2014

Mumbai University's Photocopy Rules BSc IT

This article is written for BSc IT students to guide them on how to apply for photocopies of answer sheet. However the rules mentioned here are applicable for all branches of Mumbai University.

What is Photocopy or Xerox Copy

You can apply for copy of your answer sheet from university for any number of subjects irrespective of whether you are failed or passed in that subject. If you think you had written very good paper but marks are severely surprising and you are not happy then you can apply for duplicate copy of your answer book. It is also good idea to apply for at least one answer paper so that you can get idea about how papers are checked in mumbai university and next time you can prepare good strategy ahead of time.

How to apply for photocopy ?

If you are completing graduation from mumbai university affiliated college then you can contact college examination department immediately after mark sheet is displayed. There you will get application form for answer book's photocopy. This application form is not free and will cost you Rs. 100 as application fee. This fee can be paid at same venue from where you get form and can be paid by cash or demand draft. For DD payment kindly inquire at same office. This fee will not be refunded in any event.

If you are not affiliated with any college or doing graduation from distance education program then you can get said form in Mumbai University's office which is located at Vidyanagari Campus in Kalina. You can reach there from Santacruz railway station by auto or bus (BEST). Upon reaching you can find examination section on the second floor of IDOL building(For BSc IT) . Room no 211 will be assigned for the same purpose. Below i have shared the map to reach IDOL.




What is the use of applying for photocopy ?

As said earlier this photocopy will help you understanding what went wrong. Still you may ask yourself is it worth applying for ? And the answer is it depends. If you are confident that there is some mistake in checking then just go for it because you will get chance to correct checking mistakes if there are any. Check rule (10) for detailed explanation.

Rules while applying for Photocopy

University has provided this facility to grant xerox of answer-sheet however you have to keep following rules in mind while applying for it.

  1. There is difference between revaluation and photocopy. So if you are applying for photocopy then don't assume that it will automatically get applied for revaluation and vice versa. However you can apply for both at same time but as said earlier you will have to fill revaluation application differently.

  2. You can only avail this provision for theory examination which is conducted by university. For college exams this provision cannot be used because university does not mandate affiliated colleges to provide this facility.

  3. You cannot apply for photocopy of internal assessment tests such as practical examination, tutorials.

  4. The request for photocopy can only be made within 7 days from result declaration; so do not procrastinate. After application submission college will provide you a receipt of application which you have to keep it with you while collecting answer sheet from college. Also college must forward applications to university's examination controller within 10 days from result declaration.

  5. The fees for application will be Rs 100 which is to be submitted by applicant. Actual fee for application submission is Rs 80 and additional Rs 20 is for college expense.

  6. If you belong to reserved category then you can get 50% concession on application fee by attaching cast certificate along with application.

  7. It is advised to fill application form with utter care and attach all required documents because if any mistake is found or documents are missing during processing of application form then it will get rejected without giving any reason or opportunity for re-application and ultimately you will not get photocopy of your answersheet.

  8. It is expected from university to provide photocopy to applicant within 25 working days from received date of application.

  9. It is college's responsibility to put notice about received photocopies from university and handover photocopies to applicant in person upon authenticating and confirming original receipt of application.

  10. If you find that there is mistake in counting marks or if some question or part of question is not checked then you can meet professor-cum-director of IDOL (BSc IT) with answer sheet and sort issue out with them. But note that you should sort it out within 3 working days from the date of answer sheet received. Also this receipt date is not when you received answer-sheet rather when the office where you applied received this answer sheet from university. Note that you cannot explicitly argue with merit of answers you have written.

  11. If the question or part of question is not checked or paper is previously checked by moderator then moderator or concerned examiner will be called by appropriate authority of university and it is liability of moderator or examiner to show up within 4 working days from given date or else Rs 100/day will be charged as fine against moderator or examiner. However university will provide traveling allowances to moderator or examiner.

  12. If mistake is found then you will get receipt of result rectification upon which within 7 days you have to fill revaluation application form. If you were not eligible for reevaluation previously due to mistakes in checking but after correcting mistakes in rectification you became eligible for revaluation then you can as well apply for revaluation within 7 working days.
  13. These are the some of the rules which are enacted by university after order passed by Bombay High Court to bring transparency in paper assessment. You can read complete rules here at Mumbai University's website.

Friday 25 July 2014

BSc IT Passing Rules - Mumbai University

This post is about BSc IT passing criterion of Mumbai University however many of this rules are applicable for general BSc streams of Mumbai University.

Basic Passing Rule

Till HSC examination 35% marks were considered as a minimum number of marks to pass examination. However in graduation 40% marks considered as a minimum number of marks. This rule is applicable for all branches of graduation in Mumbai University.

Internal and External Passing

If you know how BSc IT course is structured then you are aware of internal and external assessments. The passing system of BSc IT is also divided as internal passing and external passing which means that you have to secure minimum 40% in both internal and external. So if you have obtained 41% marks in internal examination but 39% in external then you are considered failed in external examination. If you fail in internal or external even of single subject then you considered failed for entire semester.

What constitutes internal assessments ?

  • Practical Examination
  • Case Studies
  • Viva Voce
  • Tutorials
  • Assignments and Journals
  • Project and Mini Projects
  • Project documentation
  • Each subject has some of the aforementioned assessments and has different marks distribution. The details of each subjects assessments and marks distribution can be found in syllabus of respective subjects.

What constitutes external assessment ?

External examination mainly comprises of written examination of subjective theory questions. All subjects make this assessment compulsory except final year project.

As mentioned earlier, you have to pass both internal as well as in external. If you could not pass either of the above then you become subject to ATKT which is again can be Internal ATKT or External ATKT. Unless you break through ATKT you are considered failed in that particular semester.

ATKT Examination

If you could not pass internal or external assessment of any particular subject then you can again reappear for those assessments.

Note that if you failed in external examination but passed internal examination then you need not to reappear for internal examination and vice versa. Typically ATKT examination is conducted within 60 days from result declaration.

Semester wise passing rules.

ATKT allow you to continue upcoming term however this exemption is subject to (but not limited) to following constraints.

  1. You are bluntly admitted in second semester without considering how many back logs (ATKT) you have in first semester.

  2. You only allowed to get admitted in third semester if you have completely cleared (both internal and external) either Semester 1 or Semester 2.

  3. If you have enrolled when university rolled out credit grade system also known as CBSGS then you must secure Grade 'E' or above in both Semester I and Semester II in order to get admitted in Semester 3.

  4. You will be accepted in Semester 4 without considering how many back logs you have in 3rd semester.

  5. Admission criterion for Semester 5 is strict and you must completely pass all previous semesters that is 1st Semester, 2nd Semester, 3rd Semester and 4th Semester in order to become eligible for fifth Semester.

  6. There is no limitation on how many back logs you have in semester V in order to get admitted in semester VI.

  7. However you must successfully clear all 5 Sems before result of Semester VI is out. Otherwise your semester 6 result would be kept reserved.

  8. This rules involve more intricacies and are quite vague to make firm interpretation. So I urge you to go through this rules as circulated by Mumbai University for both non credit based system and amended credit based system. Also carefully scrutinize these circulars with the help of your college examination department and college faculties. In past university has also published circular specific to BSc IT course to explain passing rules of Bsc it.

Re-examination of Repeaters and Absent Students

If you could not pass exams in first attempt or could not attend exam then you can reappear for examination. In case you were absent then you have to take special permission from examination head by explaining reason why could not attend regular exam.

How classes are awarded in BSc IT

Before explaining what percentage range has what class, we must clear following facts.

  • You only become eligible to get class if you pass examination in single attempt. If you failed even in single subject of given semester then you will get pass class for that semester irrespective of how many marks you have in total.
  • Only for last year single class is awarded combining both Semester V and Semester VI. So if you passed semester V successfully but failed in semester VI then you will get pass class and same is applicable in opposite scenario.
  • If you pass 5th Semester and remain absent for 6th Semester then you can give Semester VI afterward and your absence will not be noted as failure. However I have no concrete document to cite this point. I got this information when I called universities examination department but have no proof to stipulate this with utter confidence.
  • If you are admitted in credit system (CBSGS) then for each semester grades will be awarded.

Following table illustrates how class is awarded on basis of percentage marks secured in examination. If you have learned any programming language then you will find this table familiar.

Percentage Marks Class
Marks >= 75% Distinction
Marks >= 60% and Marks < 75% First Class
Marks >= 50% and Marks < 60% Second Class
Marks < 50% Pass Class

Thursday 17 July 2014

BSc IT Exams - Mumbai University

This post will help you in understanding Bsc IT Exams structure. You may find worthwhile reading that how much efforts you have to put in course before taking admission. Because exams are the crucial in deciding that. If you are pursuing Bsc IT from Mumbai University then this post is for you.

Bsc IT Exams can be mainly distinguished in two.

  1. College Exams
  2. University Exams

If you are familiar with Bsc IT Course Structure then you will notice that for first two years i.e. from semester 1 to semester 4; all exams are conducted by college from which you are completing your course and for last year i.e. for semester 5 and semester 6 exams conducted by university from which you are doing graduation.

College Exams

As mentioned above this exams are conducted by your college in your college itself. Key realization is that all papers will be set by your regular instructor but syllabus would be as prescribed by university. To be honest this exams are easy to pass because many colleges set lenient papers and questions they ask usually come from your assignments. Since it is subjective exams this approach is convenient because students can dedicate more time to the practical project work.

  • Practicals and Internals
  • In internal examination you have to do your assignment work, tutorials, case studies and practicals. The subjects which have lab sessions will have practical examination in lab which usually comprises of programming tasks or equivalent.

  • Theory Exams
  • In theory your college would conduct written examination which contains subjective question answers.

    The grade distribution for Practicals and for Theory exams can be found in syllabus section of first and second year.

University Exam

In the last year of graduation university conducts examination.

  • Internal Assessment
  • Practicals and Internals would be conducted in your same college but only difference is that some university appointed external would be there for grade evaluation. But on many occasions university fails to appoint external, in that event your college faculties evaluate your grades.

  • External Assessment
  • In theory examination (external assessment) university sets paper and decides centers where you have to give your written test. The paper remain same for all students irrespective of their college. Paper evaluation is done by university appointed grader.

  • Project Assessment
  • In the last year you create some software application and document it, it is also known as project work. This project work is evaluated by both internal (college faculty) and external (university evaluator) together.

The details of final year grade distribution can be found in last years syllabus section.

Saturday 24 May 2014

BSc IT Subjects - Semester 5 and Semester 6

This post will discuss BSc IT last year subjects in detail so that you can prepare ahead of time. You can download complete T Y BSc IT syllabus at the end of this post where you can also find university prescribed reference books and grade distribution for each subject.

Subjects in Semester V

Network Security

As name suggests this subject introduces to the concept of security in the context of computers and networks. This subject requires you to have good mathematical foundation in order to understand concepts. It starts with Cryptography and different methods used for encryption and decryption of message over network. It covers both symmetric and asymmetric cryptography, further it introduces to the notion of public key cryptosystem, digital certificates etc. This subject also explains how networks can be secured using firewalls and VPN's and which are the different protocols used in communication over network and how to make that communication more secure using different security mechanisms. Overall this subject is interesting and one can gain precious knowledge which is helpful in entire career if one is interested in security aspects of information technology. Network Security Course of NPTEL covers all concepts in syllabus given that you have good mathematical background to understand concepts explained, I would recommend you take that course and you are good to go. This subject has practical sessions where you can code different cryptosystems.

ASP.NET with C#

In 2nd semester of first year you became familiarized with web designing and development, this subject will enhance your knowledge further so if you are interested in web development then you must pay careful attention to this subject. In order to learn this subject in proper way follow the below path.

  1. Understand Basics of .NET Framework
  2. Learn Core C# Programming.
  3. Learn MS-SQL database programming
  4. Learn Windows Programming in C#
  5. Learn Web Programming with ASP.NET and C#

Since this subject requires you to cover many different concepts at once, I would suggest that start learning as early as possible. There is fat probability that you will end up using knowledge gained in this subject in your final year project. This subject also includes practical sessions.

Software Testing

No software is defect free. Yes you read that right. Every software requires rigorous testing before using it in production. This subject will introduce you to the software testing principles. Every product has quality constraints associated with it so does software and in order to create quality software one must ask what does quality actually mean ? First unit of this subject will give you brief introduction to the notion of quality. There are various way by which you can test your software, some of the main testing principles are functional testing and structural testing so in second and third unit you will learn these principles. In order to understand material covered in this subject you must have good mathematical background in set theory and graph theory. This subject also includes practicals where you will use different tools to automate testing process.

Advanced Java

In 4th semester of second year you learned data structure using Java programming language. This subject is extension of Java programming where you will learn how to create GUI to build software which can run on any machine with user interaction. You will also learn how Java use JDBC to achieve database connectivity. You can also do web programming in Java using Servlet, JSP, and JSF. This subject will also introduce you to the concept of web services where yo will learn how web servers communicate with each other using web services. Almost all modern web applications use or provide web services of some kind. At the end you will learn how java provides mail service with Javamail. Knowledge gained in this subject is useful from last years project perspective.

Linux Administration

Did you know 60-70 % of servers on Internet use linux operating system. If you surprised welcome to open source. Knowledge gained in this subject is crucial in your entire IT career. This subject will introduce you the UNIX operating system from then you will learn different flavors of Linux also known as Linux distributions. Reference book prescribed by university follows Red Hat Linux. However concepts covered in this subject are applicable for all Linux systems. As name suggests this subject is about administrating Linux operating system so if you have previous tryst with Linux then you will find it like piece of cake. More precisely you will learn Linux file system, system configuration, networking in Linux, administration of different Linux servers such as apache for web, squid for proxy and so on. At the you will learn Linux way of implementing web services. If you are form windows or other background I would strongly urge you to install Linux either completely or at least in virtual box and start exploring gems. This subject also includes practical sessions to demonstrate your linux administration skills. If you acquire skills presented in this subject you will increase your employability chances.

Subjects in Semester 6

Internet Technology

This is very interesting subject because it exposes how such complex Internet works without exhibiting underlying complexities. I feel this subject should have been introduced in first year of BSc IT but it is better too late than never. This subject first explains how networking is divided into different hierarchical layers then it introduces you to the different protocols which are followed for routing data packages on internet and it concludes with different application layer protocols such as HTTP and FTP. I would suggest you grab copy of TCP/IP Protocol Suite by Forouzan, this book covers all aspects in great detail but again it is too much to remember at once so I recommend you to just read things and understand it and don't try to remember things because as you become familiar with concepts things will become more easily palatable. Also video lecture course on Internet Technology by IIT Kharagpur covers everything in given syllabus and is as helpful as abovementioned reference book. This subject also has practical sessions where you will emulate different protocols using Java programming. If you have enjoyed DCN in second semester then you will enjoy this subject too.

Project Management

To be honest I never enjoyed this subject and let me explain you why. First of all content covered in this subject is utterly theoretical and that is fine because it is the nature of this subject even content is really good and will help you shape your vision in the field of software project management but when university expect you to remember such vast theory in few months that is really obnoxious. Let me put my two cents in on how to prepare for this subject so be ready for hard work. First read chapters from reference book and understand it. Second prepare your own short notes on each topic such that you can at least remember bullet points and third take weekly test. In test you are suppose to write things you understood with aid of remembered bullet points. Repeat this chore for entire semester and you are done because i don't think there is any better alternative than this. Also at the end of semester you will have to create some case study on given topics and have to present it to your instructor.

Data Warehousing

We are living in the digital age where in every second we are generating lot of data but problem is how to organize and store this data efficiently so that we can retrieve it and use it. This subject precisely deal with this problem of big data. This is less about how to analyze big data to get insights and more about how to store big data under given constraints. I personally found book DW2.0 The architecture for Next Generation of Data Warehousing by Inmon very helpful but it is no longer main reference book so I will suggest you to go through main reference book and get feel of content.

Elective Subjects

Below are three elective subjects for Bsc it and you have to select any one. So read content of subjects carefully and select one you find interesting. You have to fill form for examination and during that you have to select elective subject for final exam.

IPR and CYBER LAWS

In every country there are laws that govern cyber space. In India first provision of IT Act made in 2000 and in 2005 amendments were made to the same. This subject covers different cyber laws in India and some general International laws in the context of information technology. It includes intellectual property, patents and contracts in cyber world. There is no question that you will find knowledge gained in this subject very helpful in your daily life.

Geographic Information Systems

I have not reviewed this subject so will not comment on it but according to Wikipedia.

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data.

Possible applications of this subject includes creating geographical maps, analyzing geographical behavior using historical data etc.

Digital Signals and Systems Systems

As name implies this subject deal with different kind of digital signals and digital systems. Opt this subject only if you have good mathematical background in calculus. There are two very good online courses on this subject.

Monday 14 April 2014

BSc IT Subjects - Semester 3 and Semester 4

This post will discuss Semester 3 and Semester 4 subjects in some details so that you can better utilize your time studying with right perspective. Also at the end of this post you can download S Y BSc IT Syllabus pdf which will cover entire second year curriculum program.


Subjects in Semester III

Logic and Discrete Mathematics

This subject will illustrate basic but important concepts in discrete mathematics such as set theory, graph theory which are essential in understanding various concepts in computer science such as network topology, social graphs etc. LDMS will also cover combinatorics up to certain extent which will help you in understanding data structures, different computation logics. Unfortunately BSc IT folks underestimate role of mathematics in computer science which leads to inefficient applications. So do not rest on your laurels of applications and give careful attention to mathematics.

Computer Graphics

Computer graphics is huge in itself because there are various advancements going on in this field. This subject covers history of computer graphics from different display devices such as bulgy CRT to flat panel displays. It also covers basic fundamentals in computer graphics such as different transformations (2D and 3D), algorithms etc. Here once again you can appreciate power of mathematics in form cartesian plane, coordinate systems which gave us power to manipulate pixels in most efficient manner. The practical work includes writing C based programs to implement different graphics algorithms, creating simple animations etc.

Advanced SQL

In previous semester you learned basic database fundamentals and also written some basic SQL queries in MSSQL. Advanced SQL is next step to be taken in the world of database where you can not only write simple database queries but also programming instructions that can let you manipulate data in database by performing arithmetic operations, text processing, decision making, iterating etc which is requirement of todays software applications. In this subject you will use Oracle in theory as well as in practicals to write PL/SQL which is what procedural instructions are.

Object Oriented Programming with C++

You have learned procedural C++ programming in first semester so this subject is extension to that which will expose you to object oriented way of looking at problems and writing programs in C++. This will not alter procedural programming paradigm rather procedural programming is subset of object oriented programming also known as OOP. This is very radical approach towards looking at problem but effective enough to solve them efficiently. I will implore you to read book that will introduce you to OOP in palatable way so i recommend reading Let us C++ by Yashwant Kanetkar or equivalent but key to grasp concept is writing programs in object oriented manner and writing more and more programs in object oriented manner. If I may put my two cents in, colleges will not bother whether you are learning OOP in right manner or not it is your own responsibility to explore nooks and crannies of Object Oriented Programming. Almost all modern languages are object oriented and by every probability you will use them in future so get used to it.

Modern Operating Systems

As name suggests this subject will introduce you to the intrinsic working of operating systems and you will be amazed by learning how complex but efficient modern operating systems are. This subject will cover brief history of operating systems, how operating system manages multiprocess and memory. You will also learn different file systems and how operating system incorporate different file systems in it. At the end you will learn how input and output operations carried out and last but not least why modern operating systems are secure and robust. As this is theoretical subject i will urge you to install modern free and open source operating system like Linux and understand concepts practically it may sound daunting at first but you will be amazed how much you have learned in very short period. Also at the end of semester you have to create case study so creating case study on Unix like Operating System is itself great opportunity.


Subjects in Semester IV

Software Engineering

There is big difference between creating software and creating good software and this subject will build that bridge. When you work on big projects where you have to work with team and requirements remain vague then you will find approach presented through this subject quite efficient. I found this IIT Course On Software Engineering very useful and i implore you to take it. But to be honest giving theoretical exam on this subject where they expect you to remember lot of things in very short time is unnecessarily cumbersome. But key is to understand concepts pragmatically which will increase your wit in the world of software.

Multimedia

We are not bounded by communicating using text anymore and there are various media by which we communicate with each other. But at the core they are driven by technology and understanding it distinguishes you from mere layman consumer. So this subject introduces you to Multimedia, how digital world bring changes in analog communication, how various multimedia generating equipment works such as scanner, cameras, displays etc. Also how different algorithms have leveraged multimedia applications. This subject has mini project work which will expose you to practical way of looking at multimedia by getting hands on with advance softwares to create some applications.

Java and Data Structures

This subject introduces you to Java programming and how to efficiently handle data through different data structures. In previous semester you learned object oriented way of dealing with problems through C++. As Java is also object oriented you will find it easy to grasp however syntax is what you need to get use to. But this is not all in this subject the important part is understanding data structures. Whenever you deal with any kind of data, Storing, Retrieving and Manipulating data in most efficient manner is important and that is when you need appropriate data structure. Unfortunately this subject covers data structure through Java; since you first need to get familiar with Java Programming syntax and other Java features ultimately you end up dedicating very less time to data structures. In my opinion this subject should have carried out using C++ so that you could have dedicated entire semester to data structure. To mitigate this problem i will suggest you to learn Java in Semester 3 vacation and dedicate entire semester to data structures. Understanding data structures well requires good understanding of at least high school level mathematics so brush it up before getting started with data structures.

Quantitative Techniques

Have you ever wondered how much insight data can give about world ? If not this subject will allow you to learn that. In this subject you will statistically look at data to find answers but this is not only what this subject will cover. First you will be exposed to numerical analysis then it goes on explaining concepts like random variables, sampling distribution, regression analysis etc. At the end you will learn linear optimization and graphical solutions to solve problems. This subject also have practical sessions where you can use software like Scilab or Matlab to solve practical problems. Learn this subject carefully, recently i came to know twitter tweets can predict stock market. Amazing isn't it ?

Embedded Systems

In first year you have learned fundamentals of digital computing and microprocessor and microcontroller. Embedded System integrate concepts of both subjects to create elegant applications. This subject will first introduce to the concept of embedded systems, different hardware and peripherals used in typical embedded system and it conclude with how one can design and program embedded system. This subject has practical sessions where you can use simulation softwares to understand working of typical embedded system, this subject uses C language to write embedded system program. I feel book Go Embedded will be good choice to start with as far as programming part concern.

Download Semester III and Semester IV Syllabus

Saturday 5 April 2014

BSc IT Subjects - Semester 1 and Semester 2

This post will discuss all subjects included in semester 1 and semester 2 of BSc IT course by illustrating general theme of each subject. Towards end you can download complete F Y BSc I T syllabus pdf from Mumbai University.


Subjects in Semester I

Professional Communication Skills

This subject has no technical significance but help students to improve communication skills which are verbal or non verbal communication. At the end of semester students will demonstrate acquired skills by presenting some topic to their class and also passing theory exam which would cover non verbal portion.

Applied Mathematics I

This subject is mandatory in every branch of engineering and would test ability to solve mathematical problems using linear algebra. Students will be exposed to topics like matrices, eigen value and eigen vectors, vector calculus etc. At the end of semester there will be written mathematical test.

Fundamentals of Digital Computing

As the name suggests this subject would touch very basic concepts in computation starting from different number systems to demonstrating how computation is carried out with simple logical concepts. Along with theory there will be lab sessions where one can create circuits using IC's and breadboard. This is must for one who wants to enter in the world of embedded systems.

Electronics and Communication Technology

Digital communication is part and parcel of our daily life understanding basic concepts in electronic communication is mandatory for anyone who want to work in the realm of information technology. This subject precisely introduces underlying concepts of electronic communication such as different circuitry components like diodes, oscillators etc, different radio communication modes like FM, PM, AM. This subject also has practical sessions where one can use oscilloscope, IC's and other instruments to understand concepts practically.

Introduction to C++ programming

This subject will introduce computer programming in general with C++ programming language. But will not touch object oriented programming paradigms rather briefly discuss procedural aspects including data types, decision making, loops, functions etc. So it uses C++ programming language but will be equivalent of learning C programming. For those who want to enter in this wonderful world of programming, i will suggest that buy Let us C by Yashwant Kanetkar or equivalent and start learning, note that i am recommending C book because when you start reading any C++ book author assumes that you have experience with language like C or equivalent. Early start will flourish your journey into computer programming. This subject also have computer lab sessions to execute programs. In the next year you can learn C++ in Object Oriented manner.


Subjects in Semester II

Web Designing and Programming

If you want to do any basic web programming then this subject will serve you firm base. Web designing requires good understanding of HTML, CSS and Javascript and to generate web pages by programming also known as web application you must have good understanding of at least one server side programming language, some of the popular languages are PHP, ASP.NET, Java , Ruby using rail framework, python using django or flask-jinja framework and so on. This subject introduces PHP but it only covers tip of iceberg, to understand language like PHP well you must need to dedicate few months so i would suggest that in vacation of Semester 1 you can start learning html, css and javascript so that you have other semester dedicated to php. Also don't forcefully try to remember syntax just google it as and when needed because it is not easily palatable but as time goes on you will master it. Also once you learned it don't sit idle rather exercise knowledge in building applications. In order to build web application it is essential to have good understanding database and you will have subject dedicated to database in same semester known as Database Management Systems(DBMS).

Applied Mathematics – II

This subject is extension of Applied Mathematics – I of semester 1. It covers complex numbers, various transforms like laplace and fourier transform. Understanding it requires good knowledge of calculus and if one want to learn nature of digital signals or digital systems then this knowledge is essential. Do not underestimate mathematics as it has enormous application scope in computer science. As Edsger Dijkstra once said “Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.”

Microprocessor and Microcontrollers

Computation without processors is not possible and this subject will help you understanding basic processor architecture. It covers microprocessor 8085 and microcontroller 8051. It not only covers theoretical concepts of processors but also expose to instruction set (language of processor) of 8085 and 8051. In lab session you can write your own program in assembly language of above processors. Overall this subject is fun.

DBMS

DBMS is acronym of Database Management Systems. This subject introduces to the concept of database. It goes on explaining ideal characteristics of database such as ACID further it introduces concept of relational database. This subject use MSSQL as database language in lab sessions as well as in theory. As mentioned earlier if you want to build any software application then you will end up using one or other database. Whenever you use application like facebook or gmail your data say username and password has to be stored somewhere that is where database comes into picture. Having good grasp of database technology is essential requirement of any computer programmer. In the next semester you will learn Advanced SQL which will further improve your database skills.

Data Communication and Networking Standards

This subject introduces different networking architectures, communication protocols and covers fundamental networking models like OSI and TCP/IP which is what we use today for any kind of digital communication. Further it explains encoding and error detection and correction mechanisms in digital communication, different addressing schemes etc.

Download Semester I and Semester II Syllabus

Saturday 22 March 2014

BSc IT Admission Process

Before reading this post I assume you are eligible for bsc it. I would like emphasis that this course is closely related with computer science and information technology, so if you are interested computer science then go ahead. This post will only explain admission procedures of Mumbai University and other universities may have different procedures. Application process of bsc it is something not fixed because of ongoing changes in procedures as dictated by university and colleges. Understanding the crisis i have made up my mind to explain all possible ways to get admitted.

Foremost thing to do is choosing right college, I would suggest that you make list of at least five colleges and arrange them according to your preference from high to low. You can also complete course from distance education program from mumbai university , in which you need not to get enrolled in any specific college rather you can study by your own and appear for exam. Mumbai University offers BSc IT and MSc IT distance learning program.

If you are planning to go with regular course then first step is to enquire whether admission process is offline or online and make you decision.

Offline Admission

  1. If its offline process then first thing is to approach colleges from your list and bring their respective application forms, this will cost you some nominal processing fees. Also ask for start and last date of form submission and documents to be submitted along with form.

  2. Fill your form and submit document, make sure you are submitting attested copies of document within given period. Attested documents would ideally include mark sheet of SSC and HSC and previous college’s leaving certificate. You can get attestation done form doctors, principles or from any other privileged professional. After submission ask for date of first merit list and note it down.

  3. Meanwhile colleges will process your form request and declare merit list on suggested day, this list will include names or numbers of candidates who can secure enrollment in that particular college.

  4. If your name is in list and college is also what you wanted then you can take admission by making stated fees with required original documents. If your name is not in list then you can wait for upcoming merit lists.

  5. If your name is in none of the list then you may want to get late admission

Online Admission

Online process is further divided into semi online or complete online

Semi Online


  1. This is same as offline version but only difference is that you will have to fill application form on college’s local network by visiting that particular college and their system will process and generate merit list.

  2. Remaining part is same as that of offline version.

Complete Online

  1. Now this process is not yet implemented by university but before they change their mind let me give you details in advance. In this university would create some online web portal to submit your form request online over web to preferred colleges.

  2. Web portal along with college administration will process your request and generate merit list.

  3. Probably colleges will declare merit list online on web portal or on their respective website and then you can take admission in desired college as discussed in offline version.

So key is to assess which process is currently being followed by university and colleges and then following correct protocol for that process.

Late Admission

  • The candidates who apply for course include engineering prospects, so they may be merely securing admission until engineering admission process is concluded. So if they get selected in engineering then they may prefer engineering over BSc IT and will leave BSc IT course.
  • So many seats will remain vacant, now you can approach college to get admission. If your application meets college's merit criteria they will allow you to get admitted.
  • Usually this happens after few weeks from regular application process so chances are you will miss few weeks of college.
  • But remember that college will only allow you if you have participated in regular admission process with that college. In other words you must have filled application form for that college when regular admission process had commenced.

Admission after Diploma

As diploma students can also get admitted in second year of bsc it course. However this is not so demanded admission process and hence colleges remain at their liberty to handle admission process by their own way. If you are diploma student seeking admission then i will suggest you to directly contact with colleges admission department.

So this is all about how to get admitted, before college starts you may want get familiar with course structure of BSc IT.

Sunday 9 February 2014

BSc IT Course Structure - Mumbai University

BSc IT is short form of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. This course can be taken by undergraduate students seeking bachelor degree in information technology. It requires 3 years to complete the course. This course is not divided into three academic years rather it is divided into the 6 individual semesters. Each academic year has 2 semesters and each semester comprises 5 different subjects. Subjects are mainly focused on information technology and computer science.

Subjects in Course

As stated the subjects in BSc IT course are mainly related to computer science and information technology, however the curriculum has other subjects as well including mathematics, professional development, software engineering and testing principles, project management fundamentals and cyber law.

Programming Subjects

  • Fundamental Programming Languages

    • Procedural C++ Programming (Equivalent to C programming)
    • Object Oriented C++ Programming
    • Data Structure with Java Programming
  • Web Programming

    • Web Deigning with HTML, CSS, JavaScript (Client Side) and PHP (Server Side)
    • Web Application Development using ASP.NET with C#
    • Introduction to web development using Java Technologies: Java Servlet, JSP, JSF, Hibernate and Struts.
  • Database Administration and Programming

    • Database Management System (DBMS)
    • Microsoft SQL (MSSQL)
    • ORACLE PL/SQL

BSc IT Course Work

In each semester of course student has to do dully course work as prescribed by university. This work includes subject wise assignments, case studies, practical, project and last but not least exams.

Assignments

This is one of the outdated and unproductive kind of work in entire course because these assignments don’t add any value. For each subject respective professor will produce unit wise questions and you have to look in mentioned reference book and have to literally write lengthy book paragraph as it is on your assignments papers. Each subject generally contain 6 units and for each unit 1 assignment. Likewise for each semester 5 subjects hence 30 assignments. :(

Case Studies and Presentations

The subjects without practical come under this category. In case study you will be given a topic related to subject upon that you have to search and document information. At the end of semester you have to present it to your professor generally using power point slides. This can be done individually or with fellow group members.

Practicals

Every practical oriented subject falls under this category such as programming languages. Every college conducts weekly lab sessions to facilitate students with computers. Generally this includes creating different computer programs listed by university. At the end of semester college conducts practical exam also known as internal exam to test skills of students. Another chore with practical is that you have to maintain separate journals to log your programs manually.

Exams

At the end of the semester college conducts theory exams where you have to give written exam. This exam constitutes majority of grades/marks. In last year (3rd year) of Bsc it course theory exam is conducted by Mumbai University. The main thing with university exam is that common question paper for all students irrespective of their college.

Projects

In the last year of Bsc IT course student has to create project on what he/she has learned in previous years. Generally this includes creating and documenting working software but one can also create electronic / embedded system as a project. The point is it is that one is not limited to creating only software. Also in intermediate semesters some subjects will include mini-projects.

Wednesday 8 January 2014

BSc IT Eligibility and Merits - Mumbai University

This post will discuss about Mumbai Universities BSc IT degree course and address information about eligibility requirements for this course, selection merits for admission and other related information.

Minimum Educational Qualification

BSc in IT can either be done by completing 12th standard or by completing post SSC diploma or post HSC diploma.

After 12th Standard


After Science

Science student can apply for BSc IT course given that they have studied mathematics / statistics as one of subject in 12th standard. If you have opted out math for other subject like psychology or geography then you cannot take admission.

After Commerce

BSc is Bachelor degree in Science but if you have studied commerce till 12th standard but had Mathematics or Statistics as one of your curriculum subject then you can also apply for this course along with science students.

After Diploma

Diploma student can directly get admission in 2nd year of BSc IT degree course but in order to qualify for this course diploma must have completed through university mentioned stream. For more information about university approved streams read general acceptability criterion for diploma candidates and official eligibility circular of Mumbai University linked in later part of this post.

Eligibility Criteria

These are mandatory criterion for all candidates and have been effective since 16th July 2007 and have not been revised till today's date.

Eligibility after 12th Standard

Following are the requirements for candidates who have completed HSC (12th Standard).

  1. Minimum Ten Years of School and Two Years of High School from deemed (approved) university or board.
  2. Mathematics or Statistics as a curriculum subject in 12th Standard.
  3. Passed with minimum aggregate marks in 12th Standard as stated below which is according to caste category of candidate.
    Open Category (General Category)
    Aggregate marks must be greater than or equal to 45%.
    Reserved Categories
    Aggregate marks must be greater than or equal to 40%.

Note: Some colleges may keep minimum 50% marks in mathematics or other additional eligibility criterion.

Eligibility after Diploma

Following are the requirements for candidates who have completed 3 years of diploma after SSC.

  1. Candidate must have completed (passed) 3 years of Polytechnic diploma successfully from recognized body of technical education.
  2. Candidate must have completed diploma from university approved stream.
  3. Diploma candidate must also secure minimum aggregate marks as stated below.
    Open Category
    Minimum 45% aggregate Marks
    Reserved Categories
    Minimum 40% aggregate Marks

Diploma candidate will directly get enrolled in second year of Bsc IT course.

Note: The same conditions are applicable for post HSC (12th Standard) diploma candidates as those of post SSC (10th Standard) candidates.



Admission Merits

Unlike any other course BSc IT candidates are not selected based on aggregate marks rather selection is done on the basis of marks secured in Mathematics.

Each college has different number of available seats for course and have different cut off marks. Cut off marks refer to the minimum number of marks in order to get admission from available seats. Cut off marks mainly depend upon what is current competition for course and may vary each year. Unlike engineering there is no additional entrance test such as CET to get admitted.