Key Points:
- The Mumbai University has permitted its affiliated colleges to reopen their campuses from February 15, 2021. Degree colleges and universities have been directed to give first priority to final year, research and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme students when they reopen offline lectures from February 15, by the University of Mumbai (MU).
- The guidelines states, “All research and postgraduate students in the science and technology programmes, as well as final year students, may be allowed to join for academic and placement purposes. Residential students should follow 14-day quarantine before being allowed to attend offline lectures.”
- Other than these batches, online classes will have to remain functional for the other batches, states the circular.
The Mumbai University has permitted its affiliated colleges to reopen their campuses from February 15, 2021. Degree colleges and universities have been directed to give first priority to final year, research and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme students when they reopen offline lectures from February 15, by the University of Mumbai (MU).
The guidelines states, “All research and postgraduate students in the science and technology programmes, as well as final year students, may be allowed to join for academic and placement purposes. Residential students should follow 14-day quarantine before being allowed to attend offline lectures.”
The Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) laid out by the University Grants Commission (UGC) are highlighted in the circular released by the Mumbai University to reopen the colleges.
“Institutes should plan to open the campuses in phases and ensure that not more than 50% of the total students are present. All research and postgraduate students in the science and technology programs, as well as final year students, may be allowed to join for academic and placement purposes,” states the guidelines.
Other than these batches, online classes will have to remain functional for the other batches, states the circular. It further states that online teaching-learning arrangements must also continue for international students who cannot join classes physically due to travel and visa restrictions.
“Residential students should follow the mandatory 14-day quarantine and self-evaluate their health regularly before being allowed to attend physical classes. Students and staff residing in containment zones should not be allowed on campus.”
The other basic safety measures include:
- Ensuring Wearing Masks at all the times on campus
- Maintaining a 6-feet distance between each other
- Screening of staff and students at the time of entry to the college as well as queue management inside and outside the premises
- Mandatory and regular disinfection of frequently touched surfaces in all classrooms, laboratories and other common areas before the beginning of the classes and at the end of the day.
- At least one seat should be left vacant between two seats
- Collection and proposer disposal of face masks, gloves, tissues etc.
Colleges are still seen not so ready for the physical classes and the teachers and professors have also said that there is no green signal from the Disaster Management team yet. The sanitization of the whole campus would be costly for the colleges as the University has asked the students to not pay for the library and laboratory meaning that the college will have lesser funds this year is also a problem that was stated by a college principal requesting anonymity.
