Bhubaneswar: After reopening of schools, the State Higher Education Department has decided to reopen the colleges and universities for classroom teaching from August 16.
The colleges and universities will be reopened for post graduate first year and undergraduate first & second year students. The examination of final year students will be conducted on online mode only as per earlier decision, the Higher Education Department informed on Friday.
“Universities and colleges (under Higher Education Dept) will open for physical classroom teaching (and for hostel accommodation) from 16.08.21 for PG First Year and UG Pre-Final Year students. Exams for PG/UG Final Year students will be held in online mode as planned earlier,” the Department said in a tweet.
However, the physical teaching will be conducted with strict adherence to the Covid-19 protocols. The Department will issue a SoP for this purpose, sources said.
The higher education institutions have been directed to keep the college and university premises clean and follow Covid-19 guidelines including use of thermal scanning, mask and hand sanitization before entering into the classroom.
The colleges and universities have remained closed since April, following the outbreak of the second wave of Covid-19.
Notably, the schools have been reopened for the Class X and Class XII students from July 26 following improvement in the Covid-19 situation in the State.
The School and Mass Education (S&ME) Principal Secretary Satyabrata Sahu yesterday issued directions to concerned officials to reopen Class-IX for classroom teaching from August 16 with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols. The classes of Class XI students will commence from September 15, sources said.