Find alternative to hostels being used as isolation facilities, Panjab University tells Chandigarh administration

PU had handed over four of its the hostels to Chandigarh administration to be used as isolation facilities

Panjab University has asked the Chandigarh administration to find an alternative to the varsity’s hostels that are currently being used as Covid care centres.

PU is planning to conduct its semester examinations in July and has written to the UT administration as they may need the hostels in the near future.

PU registrar Karamjeet Singh said, “We have written to UT administration and told them that we may need our hostels in July as the university may call the students back. So, they should look for an alternative.”

PU had handed over four of its the hostels to Chandigarh administration which have over 1,000 residents.

Many student bodies had expressed apprehensions over the administration using the hostels as isolation facilities. Many of them also opposed the university’s plan to conduct examinations and raised the issue of hostels being under the administration’s control.

President of the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC), Chetan Chaudhary said, “Students raised concerns over hostels being turned into isolation facilities and the university has done the right thing by paying heed to our demands.”

Earlier, Panjab University Teachers’ Association (PUTA) had asked PU vice- chancellor Raj Kumar to get hostels vacated and alleged mismanagement on the administration’s part.

PU senator Rajat Sandhir said, “To become fully functional for teaching and research, hostel facilities need to be restored with proper SOPs. Vacating hostels is the first step towards conducting the examinations safely.”