Coronavirus threat: Students still in hostel can stay says, MHRD

The HRD ministry sent an advisory to the educational institutions regarding the students who haven’t left the hostel yet. The ministry asked the institutions to let students stay who are still in the hostels and take necessary precautions in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus, colleges are shut, classes are suspended, and campuses are empty. Many academic institutions also asked students to vacate the college hostels. However, on March 21, the HRD ministry sent an advisory to the educational institutions regarding the students who haven’t left the hostel yet. The ministry asked the institutions to let students stay who are still in the hostels and take necessary precautions in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

In the letter to the institutions, HRD Secretary Amit Khare stated that students who haven’t left yet and are still in the hostel. Particularly foreign students should be allowed to continue their stay. The authorities must inform the students to take all the necessary precautions to combat the coronavirus spread.

In the letter, the Ministry of Human Resource and Development directed teaching and non-teaching staff of the universities, colleges, and schools under nodal education agencies such as UGC, AICTE, NIOS and CBSE to work from home until March 31.

The ministry also emphasised online education and suggested teachers utilise their time at home and prepare question banks, innovative projects for 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat' and other topics. They are also asked to conduct online classes and do the online evaluation.

The letter also directed all the teachers, staff members, faculty, researchers, and non-teaching staff to provide their contact details to the institutions in order to be contacted at the time of emergency.

The total number of positive coronavirus cases have reached to 415. So far, the deadly pandemic has claimed seven live in the country.

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