Covid: JNU, Jamia, DU issue guidelines for students, suspend all offline academic activities on campus

Calling for necessary enforcement of Covid-19 guidelines on campus, JNU registrar Anirban Chakraborti on Friday said in a statement that since the phase-wise reopening initiated by the university in November last year, over 281 Covid-19 cases have been reported from the campus.

New Delhi: Higher educational institutions in Delhi, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Ambedkar University have issued guidelines for students to observe all Covid-19 protocols on campus and suspended all offline activities till further orders in the light of a sharp spike in the Covid-19 cases in the city.

Delhi University last week issued guidelines asking students to stay at home or hostel and avoid going to the campus for academic work unless it was unavoidable. (HT file photo)

Calling for necessary enforcement of Covid-19 guidelines on campus, JNU registrar Anirban Chakraborti on Friday said in a statement that since the phase-wise reopening initiated by the university in November last year, over 281 Covid-19 cases have been reported from the campus.

Currently, there are 27 active cases, of which 24 are students. There have been five deaths including staff, he said.

“Wearing face mask is mandatory in public places, including streets, health centre, school buildings library, offices, markets and located on the campus. The security personnel are authorised to take photographs, if anyone is not wearing the face mask. Appropriate disciplinary action including fine will be imposed in this regard,” Chakraborti said, adding that visitors’ entry will be restricted to only through the north gate of the campus.

Ambedkar University also issued a circular on Friday, cancelling all offline classes on its campus until further notice. Until Friday, final-year students were allowed to physically attend classes on campus. “Offline classes shall be suspended in all campuses of the University till further notice. All classes will be held online as per prior schedule,” registrar Nitin Malik said in a notice on Friday.

Meanwhile, Jamia Millia Islamia has constituted a vaccination camp committee to organise Covid-19 vaccination camps for teaching and non-teaching employees of the university. The decision to constitute the committee was taken in the meeting between university officials and deans of faculties on April 7.

“The committee shall decide the venue of the camp and its duration as early as possible. All the permanent teaching and non-teaching employees of the age of 45 years and above shall be vaccinated in the vaccination camp in the first phase. In the second phase, the dependents of the permanent staff members and family pensioners eligible under medical reimbursement scheme will be vaccinated. The cost of the vaccination will be reimbursed by the university as per rules,” the university said in a statement.

On Thursday, the university advised students to stay at home and “avoid physical presence for their academic work, library, laboratory, etc. unless it is very essential”. The varsity also suspended booking of conference halls, auditorium, and seminar halls till further notice.

Delhi University last week issued guidelines asking students to stay at home or hostel and avoid going to the campus for academic work unless it was unavoidable. The university said it will review the situation in 10 days. The circular came shortly after at least 13 students and two staff members of St. Stephen’s College tested positive for Covid on April 1, following a college trip in March.