Colleges Resume Physical Classes In Maharashtra

Colleges and universities across Maharashtra on Wednesday resumed in-person or `offline' classes.

Colleges and universities across Maharashtra on Wednesday resumed in-person or `offline' classes which had been stopped for over one-and-a-half years due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Pune and Mumbai, the attendance was thin on campuses on day one. As per the state government's directive, only fully vaccinated students are being allowed to attend classroom sessions.

For those who cannot attend physical classes, the online lectures facility will continue. Last week, Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant had announced that all the colleges and universities in the state can conduct physical classes from October 20. Schools across the state resumed physical classes for students of Std 5 to 12 from October 4.

Samant had also said that every university should issue a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the colleges affiliated to it as to what precautions must be taken while conducting classes in person. As per the SOP issued by Mumbai University, a maximum of 50 per cent of students can sit in a class.

Colleges should give students the option of attending online sessions, it said. They should also keep a record of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate of every student and staff member attending physical sessions, said the varsity. On Wednesday, Maharashtra reported 1,825 new COVID-19 cases and 21 deaths.