Reopening of campuses: Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan urges VCs to ensure health & safety of students

Khairatabad: Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan on Friday asked the vice-chancellors and the registrars of universities in the State to follow the standard operating procedures (SOP) to ensure the safety of the students while reopening campuses from February 1.

She emphasised on taking care of students' health, safety, psychological, and nutritional aspects during the resumption of physical classes.

The Governor was virtually reviewing with the vice-chancellors and the registrars on the preparedness of the universities in reopening the colleges with all the safety norms amid the prevailing pandemic conditions.

"Owing to the effective containment of the pandemic by the Central and State governments and the roll out of the vaccine, we are reopening the colleges. However, we need to be cautious in ensuring the safety of the students, faculty, and others. The best possible preventive measures need to be in place in the campuses. Social distancing, hand wash facilities, wearing of masks, availability of quality sanitisers need to be ensured," she added.

The Governor appreciated the vice-chancellors for conducting online classes, examinations and declaring the results thus helping the students continue their education despite the pandemic conditions.

"Telangana was one of the first States to launch the online classes. We need to be a role model State in establishing safe campuses and in imparting quality education," said Dr Tamilisai.

The Governor also advised the universities to go for the health profiling of all students to offer them best services in case of any exposure to the Covid-19.

"Experts are pointing out that there could be more pandemics in future; health profiles come handy in such scenarios. Authorities and teachers need to constantly monitor and guide the students in the campuses in adhering to the preventive measures. We should boost their morale and offer psychological support to cope up with the new norms," she added.

Referring to those students, whose parents are not willing to send their wards to the physical classes, the Governor directed the vice-chancellors and the registrars to make special online classes arrangements for them.

"Special plans must be in place for those, who cannot access online classes. There should not be any digital divide or gaps in learning," Dr. Tamilisai said.

Special chief secretary Chitra Ramachandran informed that physical attendance was not mandatory to allow the students for examinations at school level. Alternative arrangements were in place to offer online classes for those who were not willing to attend physical classes.

Senior IAS officer K Arvind Kumar, who was also the in-charge vice chancellor of Osmania University, Hyderabad, requested for the state- wide policy on the reopening of hostels instead of leaving it to the discretion of the universities. He also pointed out for clarity on the hostels reopening for research scholars.

JNTU, Hyderabad, in-charge vice-chancellor Jayesh Ranjan said that they have already started coordinating with all the 261 affiliated colleges for the implementation of Covid-19 prevention safety norms and all the constituent colleges are ready for opening on February 1. Incharge vice-chancellors B Janardhan Reddy, Rahul Bojja, T Chiranjeevulu, Collegiate Education commissioner Navin Mittal, TSCHE chairman Prof. Papi Reddy, and other vice-chancellors and registrars of all universities were also among those who interacted with the Governor during the video conference.