Odisha: Set up grievance cells, UGC directs varsities

BHUBANESWAR: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has directed all state-run universities and colleges to set up grievance redressal cells for students. They will resolve queries relating to examinations and academic activities arising because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a letter to the vice-chancellors, UGC said it has already issued guidelines on the examinations and academic calendar in light of coronavirus as part of which all universities have been advised to plan their respective academic activities keeping in view the safety of all the stakeholders. The cell will notify students after reaching a soultion, the UGC letter said.
The UGC has launched a central helpline number - 011-23236374 - and an email address - covid19help.ugc@gmail.com so that students and teachers can directly register or raise their grievances. All stakeholders have also been directed to lodge their complaints on the commission's grievance portal.
The UGC has asked the universities and autonomous colleges to upload the notice on their respective websites to let the students know about the facility.
"We have received the communication from UGC. The teaching and non-teaching staff are functioning to compensate for the lost time," a higher education department official said.
Utkal University's VC Soumendra Mohan Patnaik said they have informed their staffers about the order. "We already have a grievance cell in place. It is working to address the queries of the students. We are also working in line with the new academic calendar," he added.