Colleges in Maharashtra could reopen from January 20 with 50% students in attendance.
The State’s Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant said on Saturday that the government would be holding discussions with all district administrations in the coming days to finalise the plans to reopen colleges.
“Though cases of coronavirus are steadily coming down, we have to be extremely careful and ensure that the infection does not spread again. This is the prime reason why the government is delaying reopening of colleges, technical colleges and engineering colleges in Maharashtra,” Mr. Samant said.
Since the vaccination program will take off soon, we have started looking at options to reopen the institutions. “My department will be holding meeting with all district collectors over the next eight days. We will review the Covid situation there as well as whether quarantine centres set up there have been closed. I will be holding discussions with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to chalk out strategy for reopening colleges by January 20,” he said.
Special set of guidelines would be issued for reopening of colleges, he added. “I want to assure all that any decision on reopening of the institutions would be taken by giving highest priority to the safety of students, professors and non-teaching staff,” he said.
