Colleges, varsities reopen in Odisha for final year students

Social distancingshould be maintained in classrooms and, if needed, crowdedclasses can be divided into batches and teaching hours in aday can be extended, the guideline said.However, teachers, students and staff residing inactive containment zone shall not come to their institutes, itsaid.Hostels also reopened from January 10 only for 2020-21 final year undergraduate and postgraduate students as wellas PhD, M.Phil and other research scholars.

After a gap of over ninemonths, colleges and universities across Odisha on Mondayreopened their classrooms to students of final yearundergraduate and postgraduate courses, amid strict adherenceto COVID-19 guidelines, an official said.

Seats were arranged in a way to ensure all socialdistancing norms are followed, he said.

''The classroom teaching resumed today for students of2020-21 final year undergraduate and postgraduate courses ofcolleges and universities under the Higher Educationdepartment. The engineering institutes under the SkillDevelopment and Technical Education department also reopened,''the official said.

The physical classes and research activities for PhDand M.Phil. students resumed, he said.

The classroom teaching was suspended since March 2020.

The government reopened educational institutesconsidering the improvement in COVID-19 situation in the stateand the huge academic loss of students due to the pandemic, hesaid.

Schools across the state reopened their classrooms onJanuary 8 to students who would be appearing for their boardexamination, while physical classes at medical collegesresumed on December 1 last year.

The government also issued a guideline for the conductof classroom teaching which should be held regularly to coverall chapters of the syllabus irrespective of coverage of somechapters by on-line mode.

''Whenever possible, the physical classroom teachingshall be recorded and shared with absentee students,'' theguideline said, adding that the COVID-19 prevention protocolsneed to be followed.

It has been made mandatory for all the persons comingto colleges and varsities to wear facemasks. Social distancingshould be maintained in classrooms and, if needed, crowdedclasses can be divided into batches and teaching hours in aday can be extended, the guideline said.

However, teachers, students and staff residing inactive containment zone shall not come to their institutes, itsaid.

Hostels also reopened from January 10 only for 2020-21 final year undergraduate and postgraduate students as wellas PhD, M.Phil and other research scholars.