DY Patil Dental students asked to return to college for examination, COVID tests and quarantine norms to be followed

Pimpri, August 9, 2020: Hundreds of students are in a fix, after the Dr DY Patil Dental College in Pimpri calls its students back to take the final year exam. The college has scheduled the final year examination to be held from August 24. It has notified that all the students (in and outside Maharashtra) are expected to come down from August 9 onwards, in order to complete a two-week quarantine period on reaching Pune before the examinations begin.

Majority of the students have returned to their hometown post the declaration of lockdown induced due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread in the country. Recently after a series of discussions over whether or not to conduct final year examination, the University Grants Commission (UGC) had clarified its stand stating that the educational institutions can hold the examination seeking all precautionary measures to avert being COVID infected.

The Dr DY Dental College has now issued a notification to its students giving details of the examination dates and preventive measures to be undertaken during the examination. Students have been directed to undergo COVID tests to and fro Pune. Further, it has stated that students will be required to be isolated for two weeks. The college has also assured that all the precautionary norms like maintaining social distancing, hygiene will be followed during the conduct of the examination.

However, this has worried the students who are contemplating coming to Pune, as the city is gripped in a large number of COVID cases. The students have expressed their concerns to the college as well, stating that every day thousands of cases are reported in Pune, in such a condition it is difficult to come down in the city. They had also suggested taking online examinations.

College dean, Dr D Gopalkrishna said, “We have created COVID test force. We are prepared to provide all facilities and care as per the rules of the World Health Organization (WHO). All online videos regarding this have been uploaded. The examination will be held following social distancing norms. Also, all students have been asked to do COVID tests as well.”