Pune University Issues Guidelines To Start Regular Classes From 20th October
Vivek Patil
Pune, 19th October 2021: After Maharashtra Higher Education Minister Uday Samant announced to start all colleges from October 20, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has issued a circular regarding the guidelines and norms to start the regular offline lectures.
The circular also informs that all the university education departments and affiliated colleges/institutes should strictly follow the orders given by the Municipal Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
Also, all the affiliated colleges/institutions in Nashik and Ahmednagar districts should action to start colleges as per the orders issued by the district administration as well as the local authorities.
What are the guidelines?
1) Since the approval is given to start regular classes in all non-agricultural universities affiliated colleges, private universities, and their affiliated colleges from 20th October. However, the universities should decide at their level in consultation with the local authorities about starting the classes of universities/colleges with a capacity of 50% or more.
2) Students above 18 years of age who have taken both doses of the covid-19 vaccine will be able to attend the university and colleges for offline classes.
3) For those students who have not been vaccinated, the university should coordinate with the local district administration with the help of the heads of the concerned institutions/principals of the colleges and complete the vaccination campaign with priority. University and college teachers and non-teaching staff should also be vaccinated as a matter of priority.
4) Students who are unable to attend the actual college should be provided with an online facility.
5) The Pune university administration should take necessary action to start the hostels in phases.
6) College students are over 18 years of age and most of the students are likely to have been vaccinated. The number of covid-19 infected patients in the state has come down drastically and the present outbreak seems to be under control. It is in the interest of students to start regular offline classes in all universities, affiliated colleges, and institutions in Maharashtra by taking general measures to prevent covid. A covid appropriate behavior should be followed.
7) It is the responsibility of the professor/ principal to teach and complete the syllabus of the current session within the prescribed period.
8) All the starting universities and their affiliated colleges in the state will be subject to the national guidelines for the management of COVID-19, additional guidelines on workplaces, guidelines issued by the state government from time to time, or standard operating system (SOP) as well as guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission from time to time.
“University has started but the administration should also give priority to re-opening of hostels. New students will come to Pune and they might have to live in PG or private rooms which is not convenient for them financially’, said Youth Congress Secretary Satish Gore, who is an M.Phil in English student of SPPU.
“Earn and Learn Scheme should be started as early as possible in the university campus and colleges now that the students will come to Pune. It will be beneficial for students coming from rural backgrounds”, added Yukrand’s vice president Kamalakar Shete, who is a student of post-graduate diploma in journalism.
