Higher educational institutes will reopen from Dec 15 in Uttarakhand

On Wednesday, the Uttarakhand cabinet approved the reopening of higher education institutes in the state from December 15. The private college body welcomed the cabinet`s decision on reopening. Students are unhappy.

Like schools, colleges and universities have also been mandated to implement the Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) issued by the state government before opening up for students.

The private college body welcomed the cabinet`s decision on reopening. “We are happy with this decision and thank the state government. The colleges were bound to reopen sooner or later. The theory lessons were completed through the online classes but practical lessons need physical classrooms. I am sure that all the colleges in Uttarakhand will implement the SOPs and reopen by December 15,” said GS Warne, secretary of the Association of the Self-Financed Colleges of Uttarakhand. 

Warne added, “I have my apprehensions for the clause that says colleges will be held responsible if the students are tested positive for Covid-19. I don’t think colleges should be blamed as we can’t control the movement of the students once they leave our campus.”

Meanwhile, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) said that it is not the right time to reopen the colleges in the state. “The number of Covid-19 cases are rising in Uttarakhand and currently, reopening the colleges will mean risking students’ lives. Colleges should have reopened after an approved vaccine for Covid-19. Recently, several students and teachers tested Covid-19 positive in Uttarakhand after the schools were reopened,” said Mohan Bhandari, state president of NSUI.