The State Government on Monday directed all public and private universities to resume functioning amid the coronavirus lockdown.
However at the same time, the Government imposed several restrictions on the activities of universities during the period. In a letter to the Vice-Chancellors of universities, the Government mentioned the following restrictions:
(1) Classes (theory or practical) shall not be held in physical mode. However, online teaching/e Learning/Distance learning is permitted.
(2) Examinations (theory or practical) shall not be conducted. However, the universities must remain in full preparedness to conduct examinations whenever permitted by the Government with short notice.
(3) No student shall be allowed to stay in hostel. No student or public shall be allowed to enter the university office/department without valid permission of the concerned authority. Urgent necessities of students and public, if any (like issue of certificates, etc.), must be tried to be met by electronic means. (‘Students’ include Research Scholars).
(4) Conferences, seminars, workshops, interviews, field work/visits/trips, etc., shall not be held. Conferences, seminars, etc., may, however, be held in online mode if required.
(5) Evaluation of answer sheets pertaining to examinations already conducted is permitted. However, zonal valuation is not permitted. PhD viva-voce examination and PhD pre-submission presentation in online mode is also permitted.
(6) While all Group-A (teaching and nonteaching) employees, which includes all faculties, have to attend to their official duties on a daily basis, only one-third of Group B, Group C and Group D employees shall be required to attend to their official duties as will be decided by the competent authorities of the universities with or without rotation basis. A copy of the university office order to this effect should be sent to local police and civil administration with a request to allow movement of permitted employees to and from the university. Employees must carry a copy of this order of the HE Department, a copy of the university office order and I-Card while commuting to the university.
(7) If an employee, who is required to attend to duty, fails to do so due to any reason, he/she has to apply for admissible leave to her/his leave sanctioning authority.
(8) During functioning of the universities, all COVID-19 prevention measures such as social distancing, hand washing, sanitisation, compulsory use of mask, routine disinfection, suspension of biometric attendance system, etc., must be followed scrupulously.