Puducherry schools will reopen on January 18

The Puducherry government has decided to resume regular academic activities in all schools from January 18 next.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, Minister for Education R. Kamalakannan said that after the Union Territory registered a dip in COVID-19 cases, there was a demand from parents and students for resuming academic activities.

The Department of Education had now decided to start the partial resumption of classes from January 4 next year.

The students could visit schools from January 4 to 17 to get their doubts cleared. From January 18, regular classes would start for all sections, he said.

A Standard Operating Procedure would be issued for partial and regular reopening of schools, Mr. Kamalakannan said. “We have taken the decision based on the number of [COVID-19] cases reported now. The decision will be subject to the spread of the contagion. The Centre has bestowed upon the States and the Union Territories the right to decide on the resumption of academic activities,” he said.

The classes for final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students would start from Thursday, he said.

Mr. Kamalakannan, who also holds the Power portfolio, said that despite the objections from the staff of the Electricity Department and the Puducherry government, the Centre was going ahead with its privatisation plan. Recently, the Department received a communication from the Centre on the appointment of a transaction adviser to initiate the process, he said.