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Panjab University planning to reopen campus for students
Members of National Students Union of India (NSUI) submitted a memorandum on Tuesday demanding resumption of physical classes
With Covid cases dipping sharply in the last two weeks, Panjab University (PU) has started making plans to reopen campus for students, senior varsity officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The Chandigarh administration had recently allowed colleges and universities to reopen from August, with the rider that students, teaching and non-teaching staff who turn up for physical classes must have received at least one vaccine dose. A committee has already been constituted to work on the modalities. The Punjab government has also allowed universities to reopen. However, an official said that nothing has been finalised yet.
PU has remained closed for students since March last year after the Covid outbreak. The classes and exams for both semesters of 2020-21 academic session were conducted online.
While demanding resumption of physical classes, students of a few departments had boycotted online classes in March. Meanwhile, members of National Students Union of India (NSUI) submitted a memorandum on Tuesday with the same demand.
Waiting for detailed instructions of UT
PU is yet to announce the academic calendar for 2021-22 academic session, but according to the academic calendar drafted by a panel, classes will start from August 11 at PU and its affiliated colleges. “We are also waiting for the detailed instructions to be issued by the UT administration,” an official said.
The reopening of the campus for students will be in accordance with UT’s instructions. A senior official of the education department said, “We are in process of finalising the guidelines and the instructions will be issued soon.”
However, PU is also working to frame its own guidelines for students and reopening of hostels. Currently, only research scholars whose work is pending are allowed to stay at hostels.
As per PU’s draft guidelines, hostel residents will be allowed to join with consent from their parents if the varsity reopens, and they should have received both vaccine doses 14 days before joining. Also, visitors will not be allowed and residents will not be allowed to enter the ”common room”.
PU seeks vaccination status of students
Meanwhile, the office of the dean university Instruction (DUI) on Tuesday directed heads of departments to provide the vaccination status of all students by July 30.
