After reopening of the schools, the State Higher Education Department has decided to reopen the colleges and universities for classroom teaching from August 16.
The colleges and universities would be reopened for postgraduate first year and undergraduate first and second year students. The examination of final year students would be conducted only on online mode as per the earlier decision, the department informed on Friday. “Universities and colleges (under Higher Education Dept) will open for physical classroom teaching (and for hostel accommodation) from 16.08.21 for PG First Year and UG Pre-Final Year students. Exams for PG/UG Final Year students will be held in online mode as planned earlier,” the department said in a tweet. However, the physical teaching would be conducted with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols. The department would issue an SoP for this purpose, sources said.
The higher education institutions have been directed to keep college and university premises clean and follow Covid-19 guidelines, including use of thermal scanning, mask wearing and hand sanitisation before entering into classrooms. The colleges and universities have remained closed since April following the outbreak of the second wave of Covid-19. Notably, the schools have been reopened for the Classes-X and XII students from July 26 following improvement in the Covid-19 situation.
School and Mass Education Principal Secretary Satyabrata Sahu on Thursday also issued directions to concerned officials to reopen Class-IX for classroom teaching from August 16 with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols. The classes of Class-XI students would commence from September 15,sources said.