All higher educational institutions, universities and affiliated colleges, across Andhra Pradesh will reopen from Monday. Unlike alternate half days for schools, colleges will function on all six days of the week, said an official.
"A new academic calendar for non-professional courses, professional courses and post-graduate programmes was released," said an official. However, classes for first year professional and non-professional undergraduate courses will commence from December 1.
After a gap of five months, educational institutions in the southern state are reopening, following all standard operating procedures aimed at warding off the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Adimulapu Suresh said that the state government has created an app to monitor that all schools are adhering to the coronavirus Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs).
"A taskforce has been created with the collectors and other officials to monitor the situation and random tests would be conducted for the students on a regular basis," said Suresh. He said every effort would be made to maintain sanitation in the classes. Talking about intermediate classes, Suresh said second year classes would begin from Monday and first year from November 16.
"A schedule has been prepared to complete the 2020-21 academic year by August. Only online admissions have been permitted to the 647 colleges and 5,83 lakh seats were allotted," he said.
According to the minister, Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) affiliation renewal for some colleges which failed to follow the standard procedures was denied.
He said renewal was rejected for nearly 611 colleges for violating the norms, out of which 200 were later given permission after they submitted an affidavit that they would abide by the norms.
Watch his full press conference below.