Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has given instructions to start tribal hostels soon. Chief Minister Chouhan said that hostels are being started for the purpose of providing residential facility to the students of tribal class keeping in view the Class-10 and 12 board and college examinations. In hostels, it will be mandatory to follow the necessary precautions for protection from Covid-19.
This decision will benefit about 34,000 school level students of Class 10 and 12 in general hostels and residential schools and 8 thousand students of college level. There are 1195 senior hostels, 152 college hostels, 126 specialised institutions like residential schools, girls’ education complexes, Eklavya Adarsh ??residential schools and Gurukulam schools run by the Tribal Affairs Department in the state.
Keeping in mind Covid-19, only students of class 10 and 12 will be allowed to stay in hostels for the purpose of ensuring cleanliness, hygiene and social distancing. This facility will not be available for students of class 9th and 11th. The ashrams, junior hostels will not be opened yet. The consent of the guardians will be necessary to stay in the hostels.
Each hostel will have a separate quarantine room. Hostel superintendents will be trained in collaboration with Health Department to ensure adherence to guidelines applicable for protection from Covid-19 in hostels. Each hostel will be affiliated with the nearest government health centre. The mobile number of the doctor of the health centre will be written on the notice board of the hostel. There will be arrangement for regular health checkup in hostels.
Instructions have also been given to all divisional, district and block level officers and principals to inspect hostels regularly.