Nagpur: Uday Samant in city on Monday, officials want online meet

NAGPUR: Even as Maharashtra higher education minister Uday Samant would be visiting Nagpur University on Monday, its officials have privately expressed apprehension on the tour due to the record Covid-19 cases in the city.
A few NU officials had recovered from the deadly virus and one of them had also succumbed. The exam section had also stopped work for about a week after a couple of officials tested positive. The minister couldn’t be contacted.
As per a circulated plan, Samant would be arriving in the city in the morning, possibly with top officials from the ministry. He would meet interact with vice chancellor Subhash Chaudhary, registrar Neeraj Khaty and Board of Examination and Evaluation (BOEE) director Prafulla Sable, and other officials. While holding of the final year examinations is the main agenda, other administrative issues will also be discussed.
The meeting would be held at NU’s new administrative complex near VC’s bungalow from 11am. Samant would also be conducting review meeting of Kavikulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University with its VC Shrinivasa Varkhedi who also holds additional charge of Gondwana University.
Top officials from both universities are expected to be present in large numbers at the Jamnalal Bajaj administrative complex. Samant will then move to Amravati University for another review meeting with VC Murlidhar Chandekar and other officials.
NU officials TOI spoke to said the minister could have adopted the online mode for the meeting rather than come to Nagpur. Samant had earlier conducted online meetings with VCs of all 13 traditional universities. Even a recent meeting where the decision to conduct exams was taken in the presence of chancellor BS Koshyari was held online with all VCs.
“He is putting not only his own life at risk, but also of officials from three universities. Since, he will be there, his staff would accompany him. Besides, them, the class-III and class-IV staff would be there to serve them. It was absolutely unnecessary at this time of pandemic, as the virus is highly contagious and can affect several persons at a time. Imagine if exam section officials gets infected, the important final year exams would be in jeopardy,” the officials said.