Quarantine in hostel before appearing for exams, varsity tells students

Or produce a certificate on home quarantine, it says

Odisha’s State-run Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla, has asked its students to undergo 14-day quarantine in hostels or produce a certificate on home quarantine before appearing for the final examinations.

“The final semester students are required to quarantine on the campus before appearing for examinations in July,” says a notice issued by the university Registrar.

“Students are not allowed to enter the hostel other than scheduled dates. Students, including day scholars, who will fail to reach the campus by June 20 but willing to appear in the final exams, must produce a certificate on the last 14 days of home quarantine from the competent authority defined by COVID-19 guidelines,” it says.

While the examination for the final year under-graduate and post-graduate students are scheduled in July, students have been asked to arrive on June 18, 19 and 20. They have also been instructed to download the ‘

Aarogya Setu ’ app on their mobile phones with registration to prove that they are clear from coronavirus contamination.

The notice says students will have to arrange their own stay during the period of examination. They should not step out of hostel campuses other than examination purposes.

Students termed the notice bizarre. “About 120 to 130 final semester students will stay in a hostel, which has only six bathrooms. Moreover, rooms will have to be shared by those coming from different places, including hotspots. The common dining room will be used by all,” said final year students of Computer Science on the condition of anonymity.

They pointed out that one of the hostels had been converted to institutional quarantine centre where migrants and other locals had stayed.

The notice is confusing for day-boarders. They are bewildered as to who would issue the home quarantine certificate.

When contacted, VSSUT Vice Chancellor Atal Chaudhuri said, “students have expressed their concern regarding feasibility of undergoing quarantine in hostels. Issues have also been raised regarding the production of quarantine certificates. We have convened a meeting of deans and other university officials on Monday. We are likely to examine the notice afresh.”