College, university campuses not to reopen immediately in Bengal: Education minister

The minister concurred with our views.Therefore, it was decided that classes and semesterexams should continue to be held through virtual mode atpresent, the spokesperson said.

Colleges and universitiesin West Bengal, closed since mid-March due to the COVID-19outbreak, will not reopen campuses immediately, EducationMinister Partha Chatterjee said on Wednesday.

The vice chancellors urged the state government toallow institutions to conduct classes and exams of odd-semesters on online mode till March, Chatterjee toldreporters after a meeting with the VCs.

''The VCs said, since a month's time is left (forcompletion of exams) for odd-semesters (like 1, 3, 5, 7) letus continue with the online mode. The government agreed totheir proposal.

''The varsities also communicated to the governmentabout their inability to reopen hostels immediately due to thepandemic situation,'' the minister said.

About the request by guardians and other stakeholdersto take a quick decision about the modalities of 'evensemester' academic activities, he said, ''The possibility ofelections being held in April and the poll schedule clashingwith semester classes and exams also figured in the discussionwith the VCs.

''They said a decision based on mutual discussion,considering all aspects, will be taken up by them. Thegovernment left the decision to them, saying students shouldnot be inconvenienced,'' he said.

With online classes in vogue, students and faculty inall higher educational institutions are gradually getting usedto it and some varsities have also helped students so thatthey can participate in the classes without any difficulty,Chatterjee said.

It was also decided that laboratories will be keptready for use by PhD researchers on case-by-case basis, theminister said.

To another question about reopening of state-run andstate-aided schools for beginning classes in higher gradesfrom February 12, Chatterjee said, ''We will issue specificnotification about reopening of schools for higher classes atthe appropriate time.'' ''That notification will give every details - about themeasures and how many students will be allowed at a time,'' headded.

Earlier, spokesperson of the West Bengal Vice-Chancellors' Council (WBVCC) said after meeting the ministerthat laboratories of the institutions will be opened for thebenefit of research scholars.

''Several VCs told the minister that with the COVID-19pandemic still raging, and students from outside Bengal andabroad studying in many universities and colleges here, itwill not be feasible to either reopen the hostels or campusesjust yet. The minister concurred with our views.

''Therefore, it was decided that classes and semesterexams should continue to be held through virtual mode atpresent,'' the spokesperson said.