The Union ministry of education wrote to all NITs and IIEST, Shibpur, on February 24 asking them to resume “complete offline academic activities” at the earliest in accordance with instructions from the state disaster management authorities.
Debabrata Mazumder, the dean of students at IIEST, Shibpur, said offline classes at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels will start from March 21.
IIEST, Shibpur, officials met on Friday evening following the notice from the ministry. “Classes will resume in the offline mode after the completion of mid semester exams. Students will be asked to report to the campus within March 21,” said Mazumder .
NIT Durgapur, which decided in mid-February on staggered resumption of in-person classes from March 21 after mid-semester exams, said they are unlikely to change their decision. “Considering the containment in the Covid prevalence, most of the state disaster… have permitted opening of educational institutions. Accordingly, I would request you to resume complete offline teaching activities…. at the earliest, in the academic interest of the students, taking all necessary precautions,” the notice signed by a joint secretary of NIT, under the ministry of education, said.
The Bengal government allowed resumption of classes in its colleges and universities from February 3 following a dip in cases.
A notice posted on the website of the IIEST, Shibpur, last week said all undergraduate/postgraduate classes (theoretical and practical) and the exams would be continue in “online mode” for the current semester (even semester of academic year 2021-22). “From early February we began recalling students who are willing so they attend online classes from the hostels. But for the resumption of complete offline classes we have to bring all the students immediately. The availability of the hostels have to be assessed,” an IIEST official said.
According to a NIT Durgapur senate resolution adopted in mid-February, offline mode with flexibility (some online classes) will be started from March 21 after BTech, dual degree, integrated MSc (second and third year), postgraduate first and second year, integrated MSC (fourth year and fifth year) mid-term exams.
NIT Durgapur director Anupam Basu said: “We are sticking to what the senate has resolved in terms of phased introduction of offline academic activities”.
IISER-Kolkata in Kalyani will hold its senate meeting on March 3 to decide on the resumption of physical classes from early March, said an IISER official.