Health Ministry releases guidelines for reopening of Higher Educational Institutions, skill training centres, hostels

The Health Ministry has released complete standard operating procedures for the reopening of colleges, higher educational institutes, and skill training centers as well as hostels. 

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has decided to reopen the colleges or higher educational institutions as well as skill training centers from September 21, under the Unlock 4.0 guidelines. The Ministry has issued guidelines to be followed for reopening of higher educational institutions and skill training centres. Complete Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) including safety procedures in hostels as well as staggered classroom activities have also been listed by the MoHFW.

The Ministry has given the permission to re-open only been extended to Skill or entrepreneurship training institutes as well as higher educational institutions conducting Ph.D. or technical and professional programs (like medical colleges offering PG courses) requiring laboratory / experimental works. It has however not given permission to resume regular classes for other degree colleges yet and will remain closed until September 30.

Check the detailed guidelines issued by the Ministry regarding the reopening Colleges, Higher Educational Institutions in India:

• General measures of physical distancing of at least 6 feet, proper sanitization of common areas, use of face cover/masks, frequent handwashing with soap, temperature checks at entry points, etc. have to be followed strictly
• Proper sanitisation of the buildings, common areas, surfaces, etc. have to be conducted before reopening of institutions
• Institutions within the containment zones are not allowed to open. Furthermore, students and staff living in containment zones, also, are not permitted to attend the higher educational institutes
• Contactless attendance system to be used instead of biometric attendance systems
• State helpline numbers and local health authorities’ numbers should be displayed at various places across the institution
• For air-conditioning/ventilation, the guidelines of CPWD shall be followed which emphasizes that the temperature setting of all air conditioning devices should be in the range of 24-30o C, relative humidity should be in the range of 40-70%, intake of fresh air should be as much as possible and cross ventilation should be there

• Academic calendar has to be planned in a manner to avoid overcrowding, the congregation at all times and classes to be scheduled in a staggered manner. Also, the practical activities in laboratories the maximum capacity per session has to be planned and scheduled based on the redesigned spaces
• Sharing of items like laptops, notebooks, stationary etc. is not allowed. Also, the canteens may remain closed as far as possible
• Daily cleaning of the floors, cleaning and regular disinfection (using 1% sodium hypochlorite) of frequently touched surfaces (doorknobs, elevator buttons, handrails, chairs, benches, washroom fixtures, etc.) and deep cleaning of all drinking and handwashing stations, washrooms and lavatories shall be ensured

Detailed SOPs for Reopening Colleges in India: Hostels, guest houses and other residential complexes

The Health Ministry has also released a list of SOPs to be followed to ensure a safe stay at hostels, guest houses, and other residential complexes. While all of the above basic guidelines along with regular sanitization of buildings, etc. have to be followed, additional measures have also been listed along with permissions on who can reside in hostels, etc.

• Students who are not local residents of the city/town, or do not have any support at home, or do not have the facility for online education may be prioritised for allotment of hostel rooms
• Mandatory quarantine period of 14 days for students coming from different locations and self-monitoring of health before permission to attend classes (or as per the policy opted by State Government for quarantine) has to be followed
• Screening of all boarders has to be done and only asymptomatic persons should be allowed to join the hostels. As for symptomatic persons, they shall be isolated in designated isolation facility at the institute till such time as they are seen by a doctor
• In shared rooms/dormitories, the beds should be placed at a distance of 6 feet from each other. Temporary partitions may be considered, if feasible. Any symptomatic student should be immediately given a single room and then provided requisite medical care
• Mess facility, if any within the premises, shall follow physical distancing norms at all times. Staggering of meal timings may be done to prevent overcrowding
• Also, hostels are not to be mandatory for persons except for essential staff with known health status
• All students are advised to contact their respective colleges and hostels for understanding the schedule and plan before they travel. The Complete SOPs for Higher Educational Institutions and Skill Development centres is listed here.
• Special considerations have to be done for medical postgraduate students. All such postgraduate medical students involved in COVID patient care and in essential non-COVID work are required to familiarise themselves with the proper procedures issued by the Health Ministry in this regard.

Read More:

• Schools to reopen from September 21 for Classes 9 to 12, Health Ministry issues guidelines
• NEP 2020: West Bengal Governor urges state government to reconsider its stand on NEP
• NEP 2020: Tamil Nadu to continue two-language policy; state Education Minister informs Centre