Offline classes, exams to continue as per university schedules: Karnataka Dy CM
There will be no change in offline classes and examinations scheduled as per universities’ timetables in Karnataka, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwatha Narayana said. This comes in light of a possible second wave of COVID-19 in the state. The Deputy CM also said that increased vigilance will be put in place in the universities to ensure strict adherence to SOPs issued by the state government.
“The ways that the possible second wave of COVID-19 may impact academic activities were discussed, and this has been discussed with the Chief Minister also. The matters with regard to conducting of online and offline classes, higher semester exams, lower semester exams were also discussed in detail,” Ashwatha Narayana said. This decision applies to universities, colleges, polytechnics and all other educational institutions which come under the department of higher education.
The Deputy CM said that the decision was arrived at after detailed deliberations with the senior officials of the Higher Education department. A request has been put in to the Additional Chief Secretary for hostels working under the department of social welfare and backward classes to keep functioning, he added.
The meeting was attended by Kumara Naik, Principal Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Dr Timmegowda, Vice-Chairman, Higher Education Council (HEC), Gopala Joshi, Executive Director, HEC and P Pradeep, Commissioner, Department of Collegiate Education.
Karnataka has ramped up testing for the coronavirus and has said that COVID-19 negative test results for those entering the state from Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab and Chandigarh is mandatory. Travellers from these states must now mandatorily carry a negative RT-PCR test certificate while entering Karnataka.
Bengaluru has been reporting a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the last few weeks. The total number of clusters, identified as per Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) protocols, currently stands at 14. On March 19, two clusters— one in the west zone at Vyalikaval and another in Spandix apartment in the city’s east zone—were reported.