IIT Kharagpur staff write to Education Minister, propose phase-wise resumption of classes for research scholars

Research staff at IIT Kharagpur have written a 14-page letter to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan urging him to help PhD students bring back to campus.  

In the letter, the research faculty have proposed phase-wise resumption of classes for research scholars. IIT Kharagpur had discontinued offline classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and started teaching in online mode. As the situation has improved now, the faculty members and students are willing to continue the project and doctoral work in physical mode. 

According to The Indian Express report, in the letter to the Education Minister, the staff have stated that a recent survey conducted by research scholars showed that about 88 per cent of students are already vaccinated, either partially or fully. About 86 per cent of research scholars are ready to come to the campus if IIT Kharagpur authority invites them. 

However, despite repeated calls from the students and active support of the teachers’ association to work together, the authority has no plan to bring back all research scholars to the campus, the letter read. 

“Facing a grim situation like this, the IIT Teachers’ Association has made a plan based on the Government of India Covid protocols along with other relevant campus data of the past one and a half years and submitted it to the competent authority of IIT Kharagpur on July 22, 2021. Sadly, till date, there is no response or even acknowledgment of our call for action and plan to resume the research and academic activities of this premier institution of the country,” the letter read. 

Therefore, the association has urged the minister to take note of the matter and help the PhD research scholars to get back on campus and continue their project work. 

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