Unlock-5: Karnataka to reopen colleges from Nov 17, optional for students to take offline or online classes
Sandeep Moudgal / Oct 23, 2020, 04.59 PM IST
yeddy
(This story was first published in Times of India on October 23, 2020)
BENGALURU: The Karnataka government has finally decided to reopen all graduate and post graduate colleges in the state from November 17. This includes engineering, polytechnic and degree colleges.
However, it has given students the option to attend the classes offline or continue online.
On Friday, after a meeting chaired by chief minister B S Yediyurappa, deputy chief minister and higher education minister C N Ashwath Narayan said: "We have decided to reopen the colleges from November 17, as per the UGC permissions issued to states."
The decision comes in the wake of the festive season getting over (Deepavali is on November 13) and students who have already begun their online classes from September, rejoining offline.
"We have given the students three choices, A) Attend offline classes from November 17, B) Continue with online classes and C) A blending of both offline and online classes depending upon the infrastructure available in colleges," said Narayan.
However, Narayan has clarified that only those students who get permissions from their parents can attend the offline course in colleges.
"Without the consent of the parents no students will be allowed to enrol into offline classes," he said.
The colleges will now have 20 days to submit the number of students who will enrol in the coming weeks for offline classes to the government.
"Once we get clarity on how many students have enrolled, we will decide on whether classes will be conducted on shift basis or alternate days," said the minister.
Meanwhile, the DCM also said that every college will be asked to form a task force to enforce the standard operating procedures (SOP) and guidelines issued by the health department and the government. The task forces will be headed by the college principal or HoDs. It will be asked to coordinate with the district administration and the health officers.
"We are going to rope-in all essential departments including the health department for testing and health check-ups, transport departments for services and the district administration for additional requirements," said Narayan.
At the meeting, the CM was apprised that as many as 18,000 professors and teachers are employed in government and government aided institutes in the state.
He was also told of the precautions being taken and the availability of the online classes through the youtube channel launched by the higher education department.
Hostels also to be opened
Meanwhile, the government has also decided to reopen the various welfare department hostels for students to rejoin colleges from their villages.
"These students will be given extra attention for their safety and the government will allow students to move-in two days prior to colleges reopening," he said.