IIT-Bombay defers face-to-face lectures until year-end amid COVID-19 crisis

IIT Bombay made the announcement on Wednesday night i.e. June 24, 2020. Institute’s Director Subhasis Chaudhuri said the institute would teach the next semester “purely in the online mode so that there is no compromise on the safety and wellbeing of the students”.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay becomes the first major educational institution in the country to cancel all face-to-face lectures for the rest of the year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic situation.

IIT Bombay made the announcement on Wednesday night i.e. June 24, 2020. Institute’s Director Subhasis Chaudhuri said the institute would teach the next semester “purely in the online mode so that there is no compromise on the safety and wellbeing of the students”.

He further wrote in a Facebook post, “The COVID Pandemic has made us at IIT Bombay rethink the way we impart education to our students. To ensure that our students begin the academic year without further delay, we are planning on extensive online classes details of which will be informed to all students in due course of time.”

In the institute’s 62-year-old history, this will be the first time when a new academic year will start with no students on campus. Other IITs are likely to follow with similar announcements on holding virtual lectures for the autumn semester.

The director also appealed for donations to help bridge the digital divide considering that a large section of the students at IIT-Bombay come from economically weak families. The funds raised would go towards assisting the institute in purchasing laptops, and internet data plan for such students to access virtual classes, he said.

Mr Chaudhuri further wrote, “We do not want a single student to miss out the learning experience for the lack of money. We have estimated that we need about Rs 5 crores to help those needy students. Our alumni have committed a good amount of support, but that is not enough for all these needy students and I solicit through this message your donations, however small it may be.”

Emails are also sent by different departments to all students enquiring who all do not have access to a personal computer or laptop and internet connection.

Check IIT-B's Director Subhasis Chaudhuri's Facebook Post below:

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