Six-day schedule, only 50% students allowed: New guidelines for TN colleges

The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday released a fresh set of standard operating procedures a day after the reopening of universities, colleges and hostels for students. The new guidelines stipulate that not more than 50% of the students should be present on the campus at any given point and emphasise on the need to maintain physical distancing.

It further directs institutions to allow students to attend classes online if that is their preference and to provide the requisite study material e-resources for the same. Here are some important guidelines for students and institutions.

> Adherence to physical distancing and mask-wearing

> Not more than 50% of total students to be present at any point in time

> Facilitate option for students to continue online study

> Plan for international students who could not join the programme due to travel restrictions

> All extracurricular activities to be avoided where physical distancing is not possible

Specific instructions have also been given to the Institutions:

> They should prepare details of opening the campus in a phased manner with a complete roster for all departments and batches of students in different programmes.

> In engineering colleges, if space is constrained, to maintain physical distance, students from any two years (example, first-year and third-year students) have to attend classes in one day and in the next day, the other two years students have to attend classes. This has to be repeated alternatively.

> In Art and Science colleges and polytechnic colleges, students of any two years have to attend classes in a day and thus maintain physical distancing.

> Teaching hours in a day should be extended, as per requirements of the institution

> Six-day schedule should be followed so that classes can be conducted in phases and the seating arrangement be made keeping in view the requirements of physical distancing

> Universities and colleges have to reduce the class size and break them in multiple sections.

> Visitors should either not be allowed at all or their entry should be drastically restricted.

 For residential colleges and hostels, the Tamil Nadu government has insisted on limited seating at any given time in dining halls and insisted that regular COVID-19 protocol be followed. In addition to this, institutes have been instructed to ensure that necessary medical facilities are available to quarantine anyone who gets infected.