Unlock 5: Central Universities can open for Scientific Research from October 15

The decision to reopen the higher educational institutions will be taken on the basis of the assessment of the COVID-19 situation in the respective states.

Unlock 5: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released guidelines for unlock 5 on September 30, 2020. According to the new Unlock-5 guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Department of Higher Education is all set to take a decision on the timing of reopening of colleges and higher educational institutions in consultation with the Ministry. According to the reports, the decision to reopen the higher educational institutions will be taken on the basis of the assessment of the COVID-19 situation in the respective states and union territories. In order to curb the academic loss amid the COVID-19 pandemic situation, MHA Guidelines issued also states that the online mode of teaching and learning will continue to be in operation and will be encouraged.

The guidelines issued on Wednesday, as part of Unlock 5, further states that the research scholars and postgraduate students in science and technology streams in centrally-run institutions who require laboratory and experimental works will be allowed to visit the institutions from October 15. However, the heads of the institutions in the Centrally Funded Higher Educational Institutions must satisfy that there is a “genuine requirement” of the PhD and PG students for the lab works.

The permit to visit their institutions will be given to the students enrolled in Science and Technology streams under state and private universities as per the decision of the respective state government.

Meanwhile, the Unlock 5 guidelines also talk about the reopening of the schools that are closed since the month of March due to the novel coronavirus. The MHA Guidelines, issued on September 30, has given the flexibility to the schools and other academic institutes to take a decision after October 15 with regard to the start of face to face classes considering the ongoing pandemic situation.

Read More:

• Unlock 5 Guidelines: Schools to open in graded manner after October 15
• Karnataka School Reopening: Schools to remain closed until October 15