KOLKATA: The state government has given the go-ahead to reopen school and college campuses from Thursday but several institutes in the city have decided to start physical classes next week after Saraswati Puja so that outstation students get enough time to shift to Kolkata and the authorities can also finish with sanitisation and other arrangements.
In meetings across colleges and universities, the authorities deliberated on the reopening modalities and prioritizing the batches that will be called for in-person classes first. They have also started working on inviting applications for hostel accommodation.
St Xavier’s University has decided to resume physical classes from February 7, with second and fourth semester postgraduate students being scheduled to attend classes from Monday to Friday and second and fourth semester MBA students from Monday to Saturday. Second, fourth and sixth semester undergraduate students will also be allotted in-person schedule. Heads of departments at Jadavpur University will decide on the modalities of in-person classes after discussing with students’ groups and other teachers. “A big section of our students is from outside and we have to give them time to return to the city. We are regularly sanitising the campus and hostels,” said an official.
St Xavier’s College on Park Street has pushed back their reopening to February 21, when only the outgoing UG and PG batches will go initially. But BEd and multimedia students of all semesters will attend classes on the campus. A detailed notice will be published on February 4. “We will resume classes in a staggered manner. Our students come from all across the country and so, we need to give them time to relocate to Kolkata,” said Father Dominic Savio, principal of St Xavier’s College.
Asutosh College will resume physical classes on February 8 with fourth and sixth semesters. “Second semester classes will start as soon as first semester exams get over. The dates will be notified soon,” said vice-principal Apurba Ray.
At Seth Anandram Jaipuria College, physical classes restart from Thursday itself. “Some batches will come on Thursday, and some others on Monday. All the teaching and non-teaching staff have been told to be on the campus from Tuesday,” said principal Asok Mukhopadhyay.
