Covid-19: IIT-Delhi may restart session in July, fast-track a finish by month-end

Covid-19: The suggestions were made by IIT-D officials during an online interactive session with students on Saturday, chaired by the institute’s director V Ramgopal Rao.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, (IIT-D) said it is considering restarting the current academic session from the first week of July, and concluding by the end of the month. The institute is also mooting reopening hostel facilities around the same time, officials privy to the matter said.

Covid-19: IIT-Delhi will continue holding online classes and uploading course material online.(Hindustan Times)

The 2019-20 academic session was suspended on March 12 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The suggestions were made by IIT-D officials during an online interactive session with students on Saturday, chaired by the institute’s director V Ramgopal Rao. The considerations will be sent to the senate — the highest decision making body of the institute — for approval.

“We have discussed the possible steps that can be taken to complete the session with our students. We will send these considerations to the senate for the final decision. We intend to complete the session by July 31,” Rao said.

Meanwhile, the institute will continue holding online classes and uploading course material online.

“Online content will be shared for all the courses. We are considering holding classes for two weeks in July to catch up the uploaded material before taking exams,” officials said during the interaction.

The institute has also asked all course coordinators for a plan on conducting examinations. “We are examining the possibility of conducting exams by the end of July. The course coordinators have been asked to decide on their major and minor exams. If the need arises, they can either take the minor exams on an internal level, or merge it with the major exams,” they said.

IIT-D is planning to reopen the hostel facility from July 6 only. “As a precautionary measure, we are thinking of reopening hostel facilities only a month after the lockdown is withdrawn. We are also planning to screen all students before they rejoin the hostel,” the official said.

The nationwide lockdown is so far scheduled to end from April 15 onwards. However, some states like Punjab, Maharashtra and Karnataka have extended the curbs till April 30. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday also held a video meeting with all chief ministers, most of whom were in favour of extending the lockdown beyond Tuesday.

The institute had vacated all hostels last month, due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease.

During the interaction, officials also said the institution is planning to hold a special placement drive for those the final-year students who lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic either in June or July.

The institute, meanwhile, said that it might allow PhD and MTech students to return to the campus immediately after the lockdown. “If the senate approves, they might be allowed to attend the labs and complete their projects immediately after the lockdown,” officials said.

IIT-D has also promised MTech and PhD students it will continue issuing their research stipends during the lockdown.

Besides, the students who have job commitments in May have been asked to contact their departmental heads and deans. Officials said they will be issued provisional certificates to facilitate their joining the respective firms.