KOLKATA: Colleges and universities in Bengal will not reopen campuses for the ongoing semester. Physical classes might be held from the next semester.
The decision was taken at a meeting of West Bengal Higher Education Council on Wednesday, attended by state university vice-chancellors. Education minister Partha Chatterjee said the government had accepted the decision. “We have asked universities to take into account the guardians’ concern. Online classes have been well adopted by students,” he said.
The reason, higher education department officials pointed out, was that resuming on-campus classes would have necessitated reopening of hostels, which could have increased the risk of Covid transmission. Keeping campuses shut was still a safer option, they said. “Numerous students from districts, other states and even foreign countries study in our universities. If physical classes are held, how will they attend them? Without hostels, where will they stay here?” said a VC.
Sources indicated the state did not want to take a risk ahead of the elections. Reopening of hostels will force universities to accommodate more than one student in a single room, which will increase the chances of Covid transmission “The government intends to complete the ongoing semester in the virtual mode. But it is likely the even-semester classes will be held physically for a few months before the final-semester exams are held in August. It will allow students to attend practical classes before they graduate,” said a VC, adding campuses were unlikely to open for physical classes before the elections.
Universities have been asked to follow UGC guidelines and hold exams on time. “The odd-semester exams will be held in March. Calcutta University has announced its dates between March 8 and 26. Presidency University, too, will conduct it at the same time,” said a senior higher education official.
Though CU has allowed PG departments to hold practical classes, sources said the government had instructed CU and all other state-run universities to stop any further academic activities on campus. “It was done without the state consent,” said the source. Only doctoral students and research scholars may be permitted to attend labs. At Jadavpur University, students’ unions were disappointed with the Wednesday decision. “It seems we won’t be given permission to open labs for PG students,” said a teacher. Students parties at JU, CU and Presidency have been pressuring the authorities to resume academic activities on campus. “Presidency has forwarded students’ demands to the state government. But reopening is a decision entirely lying with the higher education department,” said an official.
In the meeting, a committee was formed for individual faculties to implement interface with the industry. “We also want to conduct a survey on the gross enrolment after massive expansion in the education sector, brought about after Mamata Banerjee came to power. It is important to assess the performance till now,” added Chatterjee. The academic and administrative audit of colleges is also on the anvil.