Government nod for reopening colleges in Maharashtra, but no clarity yet for Mumbai

The rule of minimum 75 per cent attendance has been suspended this year. Representation pic

Colleges in the state will reopen February 15 onwards at half the capacity, the Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant said on Wednesday. While the online mode of instruction will continue, physical attendance will be voluntary. The reopening of city colleges, however, remains unclear as Mumbai University is yet to issue guidelines.

In good news for students, the state has also removed the 75 per cent attendance rule this year. Students will be able to choose between online and offline exams as well. "Reopening will be done in phases, with the first phase scheduled from February 15 to March 5. The state will review the situation after phase one and decide on a future plan. All colleges will have to follow guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on November 5, 2020," Samant said.

The option for online and offline methods has been kept to make social distancing easier and because not all students would be able to resume at the same time. A Government Resolution issued by the State also provides for rotational attendance. If an alarming rise in the cases is noticed, respective universities can take a call to suspend classes after consulting with the local administrative body.

"Hostels will continue to remain closed in the first phase as they require specific planning. For example, if a room had four students earlier, that cannot be the case now. Respective universities or colleges may take a call in such cases. Also, some hostels will continue to function as quarantine centres. Accommodations will resume only after structural and fire audits of hostel buildings," Samant said.

The plans were deliberated on during a meeting Samant had with 13 university vice-chancellors on Monday. A report was prepared and submitted to the Maharashtra State Disaster Committee for a final decision.

Directive for city colleges ‘soon'
While Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray okayed the reopening of colleges in the state, the Mumbai University said that it would issue directives on the reopening soon. Individual universities have to implement the final plans based on local conditions. Many students from the city also travel on local trains to their college. "Since local trains have restricted timings, Mumbai University is checking if the academic timetable can be arranged to match them," Samant said.

A Mumbai University spokesperson issued a statement saying, "The university will soon issue a circular regarding reopening of colleges adhering to UGC guidelines after discussion with the local administration and disaster management committee."