Classes have been suspended at Panjab University and its affiliated colleges besides Punjab Engineering College, as a precautionary measure amid coronavirus outbreak.
The institutes have also asked students to vacate hostels, impacting over 50,000 students across Chandigarh.
While PU on Saturday announced closure of the varsity and its 12 affiliated colleges in Chandigarh till March 31, PEC has advised its students to stay home till April 13.
Colleges and universities in the neighbouring Mohali and Panchkula have already been closed till March 31 after statewide orders issued by Punjab and Haryana governments on Friday. Meanwhile, the UT administration on Friday had ordered the closure of schools till this month end , though examinations are to continue as per schedule and teachers and other staff are to report to duty.
In the case of PU, internal examinations, including mid-semester test, evaluation and assessment, also stand postponed.
In a statement, the varsity said: “The decision has been taken in the wake of notifications issued by the Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, UT administration and Delhi regarding closure of educational institutions as a measure to prevent the pandemic conditions arising out of Covid-19... teaching including personal contact programmes in the teaching departments, regional centres, institutes, constituent colleges, affiliated colleges in the state of Punjab as well as UT Chandigarh (stand suspended).”
PU also clarified that all functions, such as seminars, conferences, symposia, workshops, group activities and gatherings, stand postponed.
{{/usCountry}}PU also clarified that all functions, such as seminars, conferences, symposia, workshops, group activities and gatherings, stand postponed.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, in an email to students, PEC director Dheeraj Sanghi said classes will remain closed till April 13 and the semester will be extended to compensate for the academic shortfall.
“All classes are suspended with immediate effect for an indefinite period. We will be reviewing the situation regularly and announce the opening date when it is relatively safer to do so. As of now, we believe that it may be possible to restart classes on April 13, but we hope we can do it earlier. The semester will be extended by as many days as duration of suspension of classes,” stated the letter.
While PU has specified no deadline to leave hostels, students and research scholars have been advised “to vacate the hostels and remain stationed in their respective home towns”. On the other hand, PEC has instructed: “All students are to vacate hostels within 72 hours, that is, by Tuesday noon, March 17.”
The only exception to this will be second-year MTech students, PhD students and those whose homes are outside India.
“If anyone else has a pressing reason to stay in the hostel, they may contact the dean of students affairs for the same. The institute remains open, and access to its labs to these students will continue as of now,” the director said. For those undergoing internship, PEC advised them to follow guidelines of host organisations.
The UT administration on Saturday also shut down all anganwadi centres in Chandigarh till March 31. However, all anganwadi workers and helpers will have report for field work.
Meanwhile, many coaching institutes have also suspended classes till March 31. Vinay Makin, administrative head of Allen Career Institute, said: “JEE Main revision classes have been cancelled as a precaution, and practice test papers will be sent to students by mail.”