Chandigarh colleges reopen after Covid-19 lockdown | Anxiety, uncertainty for all concerned

Chandigarh colleges reopen after Covid-19 lockdown: Uncertainty prevailed in Chandigarh with the reopening of colleges only for the final year students of all streams for the first time after the Covid-19 lockdown.

Most of the members of the teaching faculty on Tuesday questioned the rationality for reopening the colleges in such an `unprofessional manner` at a time when coronavirus cases are on the rise in the northern states.

They said the attendance of the students on the first day on Monday was almost negligible in almost all classes.

Last week, the Higher Education Department of the Chandigarh administration had decided to reopen colleges from November 23 for the final year students of undergraduate and postgraduate courses for academic and placement purposes.

However, online classes of all other classes and courses will continue.

"The decision to reopen the colleges for the final year students has created a lot of confusion among the college authorities," said a lecturer, who wished not to be named.

She said there is no plan for the boarders as hostels are still shut. "We are getting constant calls from the students and their parents asking about the reopening of the hostels and steps for sanitisation and safety protocols. Even most of the paying guest houses have been closed.," she said.

Amid the confusion, most of the students, even day-scholars, preferred not to attend the classes.

Most of the teachers also blamed the Chandigarh administration for its confusing decision of resuming colleges.

Interestingly, the colleges affiliated with Chandigarh-based Panjab University located in Punjab are still closed. But colleges in the city have been ordered to reopen by the local administration.

"First of all, we have to visit the college daily for physical classes. Then we have to rush to our place to give online lectures. Too much confusion," added another lecturer.

The story has been taken from a news agency