E-Paper
Confusion as few colleges reopen in Pune; many stay shut awaiting state govt guidelines
Barring some colleges, most in Pune remained closed on October 12, despite an order issued by the civic authorities permitting them to reopen for physical classes
PUNE Barring some colleges, most in Pune remained closed on Tuesday, October 12, despite an order issued by the civic authorities permitting them to reopen for physical classes.
Colleges said they are exercising caution and awaiting clear instructions from the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and the state government.
Following an announcement by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) last week issued an order allowing physical classes in colleges with students and staffers who have been fully vaccinated.
For those that opened their gates on Tuesday, it was after a perion of one year that students returned to class.
Prominent institutions like Fergusson College and SP College started offline lectures, however, Modern College and all departments of the Savitribai Phule Pune University’s (SPPU) chose to remain shut, pending clear guidelines issued by the state higher education department.
At Fergusson, the excitement among students was palpable, with group photos and selfies domiating the early action.
Some student organisations also distributed chocolates to students coming in to college. “Coming back to college and studying in an acutal classroom is always better than online. Physically, a class experience is always different and we were eagerly waiting for it. I have not met most of my friends in the last 1.5 year. We were only talking on the phone or chatting, but the feeling of a college campus is always happening,” said Hariom Shinde, a first-year Master of Arts student at Fergusson College.
Student Swamini Harshe, from Class 11 said, “When the Covid-19 pandemic began, I was in Class 9 and for the last two years it has been online studying at home. Me and my friends all were bored studying online. Many of us had a migraine problem because of sitting continuously in front of a screen. Now after a gap of two years we have come to the college campus which is most exciting for us.”
The main criterion by the state government is that only studens who have taken both vaccination doses are allowed on campuses.
“We have started all our undergraduate and postgraduate courses completely in offline mode now. None of the classes will be held online. We are following all the Covid protocols given by the state government. It will take a month for things to be streamline. On the first day, 80 classes, from Class 11 to postgraduate were held physically in classrooms,” said Prof Ravindrasinh Pardeshi, principal, Fergusson College.
According to Shamakant Deshmukh, vice-principal of Modern College, “The students will be called in a phase-wise manner, initially for practical classes and later on actual lectures will start. The offline lectures will start after Diwali and not immediately. The first preference will be given to third year students for offline classes.”
At SPPU, there were no students on campus on Tuesday.
State technical and higher education minister Uday Samant tweeted, “In next two days we will declare a date for college reopening across the state. We have sent the proposal to the relief and rehabilitation ministry and it will be then sent to the chief minister for final approval.”
Principals from other colleges said they will reopen campuses once the government issues guidelines.
“We are waiting for clear instructions from the state higher education department and Savitribai Phule Pune University, as most colleges are affiliated to it,” said Sudhakar Jadhavar, general secretary, Maharashtra State Principals Federation.
