Karnataka deputy CM tells V-Cs to vaccinate all college students before July 7

Karnataka deputy chief minister CN Ashwath Narayan, during a virtual meet with the vice-chancellors, said that students should be vaccinated as a priority group so that physical classes of higher studies can soon be resumed

Since the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic hit India, the educational scenario of the country has mostly been driving digitally as schools and colleges have been closed. With the nationwide vaccination drive underway alongside the universal free-of-cost inoculation campaign, the Karnataka government has asked all vice-chancellors of universities to vaccinate all college students above 18 years by July 7 in order to facilitate the reopening of educational institutions in the state, news agency ANI reported.

Karnataka deputy chief minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan said that if all college students cannot be vaccinated before the July 7 deadline then the same can be stretched by another two to three days. (Twitter)

Karnataka deputy chief minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan told ANI that students ought to be administered with Covid-19 vaccines by the stipulated date as per the “schedule of the vaccine drive” and that the vice-chancellors should try to make sure that the vaccination of all students is completed before the deadline. He added that if required, the deadline of July 7 can be stretched by another two to three days.

According to the ANI report, the deputy chief minister, while interacting with the vice-chancellors during a virtual meet, highlighted that students are currently being vaccinated as a priority group so that physical classes pertaining to higher education can soon be restarted.

However, Narayan noted that opening of offline classes in Karnataka depends on the success of the vaccination drive and that the state government is ready to extend all forms of cooperation.

The state health minister Dr K Sudhakar reportedly recently told that parents of children, who are below 10 years, will also be administered Covid-19 vaccine jabs on a priority basis. According to reports, he added that educational institutions will be opened in the state step-by-step because while education is important for students, their lives have more significance.

The deputy chief minister’s remarks come at a time India and the 11 other nations are fighting against the more virulent Delta Plus variant of Covid-19, which has also been identified in Karnataka. The variant – a subtype of the Delta variant, was first detected in India on June 11 and has until now claimed 50 lives.