The Higher Education Department on Wednesday released guidelines for the resumption of offline classes for junior batches in colleges on October 18.
College managements have been instructed to accommodate all students in the same classroom for postgraduate courses. Undergraduate classes should be divided into different batches and taught on alternate days or on the same day in different classrooms in those colleges that have sufficient space. Practical sessions have been permitted for science subjects.
Vaccination drives
The heads of institutions have been directed to organise special drives to provide COVID-19 vaccine free-of-cost to students and employees on campuses. All teaching and non-teaching staff members will be required to report for duty.
The guidelines also permit students aged below 18 years and not vaccinated, and students who have received only the first dose of vaccine to attend classes. In such cases, the colleges should ensure that their family members who are above 18 years have received at least a dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Teachers and students who have wilfully refused to take the vaccine need not be permitted to enter colleges. Students with disabilities and comorbidities can be exempted from offline classes for the first two weeks. Students, who are pregnant and lactating mothers, can be permitted to attend classes if they have received both vaccine doses.
College managements have been directed to strictly enforce COVID-19 norms on campuses. Efforts should be made to prevent crowding outside colleges. COVID-19 Jagratha Samitis (vigilance committees) comprising teachers, non-teaching staff, students, guardians, local body representatives, health workers and police should be constituted in each college.
Time slots
While colleges can function between 8.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m., college councils have been permitted to choose between the time slots of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m., and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Engineering colleges must ensure six hours of class sessions.
