Amid rising Covid-19 cases, IIT Delhi advises students to return home

IIT-D Director V Ramgopal Rao said that the institute has advised students and nobody will be forced to return.

Amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in the national capital, the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, (IIT-D) has advised students residing at its campus to return to their homes and also urged the day scholars to avoid coming to the institute unless “necessary”.

File photo: Indian Institute of Technology campus in Delhi. (Arvind Yadav/HT photo)

IIT-D Director V Ramgopal Rao said that the institute has advised students to return in view of the unprecedented rise in Covid-19 cases in the national capital. “We have around 2,000 students at the campus. As per the Delhi government rules, we cannot isolate students at the campus and we will have to shift to them in quarantine centres. We are told that Delhi quarantine centres are all full at present. We are worried in case something goes wrong there won’t be any place to shift them. We have just advised the students and nobody will be forced to return,” he said.

Rao said at least 25-30 students tested positive at the campus in the last month. “Everything is under control at the campus. The institute is following all Covid-19 appropriate precautions,” he added.

In an email sent to students and faculty members on Saturday, IIT-D deputy registrar and nodal officer for Covid-19, N Bhaskar, said that at least 15 students, 6 employees, and two family members of the employees recently tested positive for the virus at the campus. “All are requested to kindly take the necessary precautions and follow the guidelines strictly without any laxity in the common interest of the safety of the campus community,” he said.

In another email sent to students on Thursday, IIT-D deputy director (strategy and planning) Ashok K Ganguli said that a meeting with key administrative personnel was held to review the alarming situation arising out of increasing Covid-19 cases in the country.

“Several students have tested positive today and several mess staff members have called in sick. The Gulmohar facility for home quarantine of students is full to capacity now. In addition, there are many cases amongst faculty and their family members as well as staff and their family members. While the faculty members and staff members are isolating within their homes, this option is not available to hostel residents. As per Govt. regulation they have to be shifted to Govt. isolation centres anywhere in Delhi. These centres are also getting fast overwhelmed,” he wrote.

Raising concern over a possible extension of the weekend curfew imposed by the Delhi government from Saturday, he said, “In view of this very grim situation, the committee feels that it may be safer if the students can go home and be with their family. Accordingly, all students who want to go home are hereby allowed to do so. They may return as soon as the situation improves in Delhi.”

In another email sent to students on Friday, Ganguli said that students who had returned to campus because of challenges in connectivity “may also decide to go back to home” in case the connectivity situation in their hometown has improved or alternate ways of attending online classes or exams have become feasible. “If required, the usual support (dongle/data pack at home location) being provided by Dean SA/AD, SW office may be extended,” he wrote.