College heads wonder how to manage physical distancing in hostels

College heads have no clue as to how students could be accommodated in hostels, now that the State government has given the green signal for start of regular classes for all undergraduate and post graduate students.

The Standard Operating Procedure published by the University Grants Commission specifies that only one person per hostel room could be accommodated.

Hostels may be opened only in such cases where it is necessary while strictly observing the safety and health preventive measures. However, sharing of rooms may not be allowed in hostels. Symptomatic students should not be permitted to stay in the hostels under any circumstances, the safety guidelines issued by the UGC states.

Having admitted students from far-off places, colleges feel stranded now. “Leave alone paucity of so many rooms in the hostel, it is simply difficult to keep students apart in hostels,” a principal of a prominent college in Tiruchi said.

For over a month now, the institutions could manage the situation since the conduct of regular classes was limited to science programmes for final year UG students and for PG students.

The colleges can ill-afford to ignore the UGC’s SOP since it is vetted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and approved by Ministries of Home and Education.

“It is indeed possible to comply with physical distancing in classrooms, and to prevail upon students to use face covers and mask and wash their hands frequently with soap, and to use alcohol-based sanitisers every now and then. The UGC, in fact, expects colleges to come up with stricter provisions and guidelines, if they feel it necessary, to ensure the safety and health of students, faculty and staff”, another principal said, while stating that it was impracticable to enforce the safety protocol in hostels.

As per the safety guidelines, there should be no crowding in hostel areas, and their numbers must be limited appropriately.

The college heads say they feel helpless as students cannot be prevented from converging in small groups in the dining halls, common rooms and playing areas.