Jadavpur University has been forced to start offline classes in the engineering and technology faculty from January as workshops and lab classes cannot be attended over online platforms.
But the arrival of students on the campus has left the university grappling with its resources, said a JU official.
The university is accommodating three students in each room of the hostels that used to be occupied by four in the pre-pandemic times, even as the UGC advisory prefers single room occupancy to keep the hostels less crowded amid the pandemic.
Two students are being accommodated in a two-person room as the load of the students is on the rise, he said.
The teachers are also worried how the theory classes could be held maintaining physical distancing norms.
The university had resumed offline classes in the arts and science faculty with students taking turns in attending classes, from November 16 in keeping with a state government advisory.
An official, who looks after the room allocation, said since the load was less so far they could at least accommodate one student in rooms usually meant for two. The problem has compounded as in-person classes in the faculty of interdisciplinary studies, law and management have started in offline mode from December 27.
The university can accommodate 2,000 students in hostels.
The dean of students, Rajat Ray, told The Telegraph: “With the arrival of students in increasing numbers, the load on hostels has increased manifold.”
A notice signed by the registrar, Snehamanju Basu, says offline classes of the first-year BTech batch will start from January 3.
Atal Chaudhuri, the dean of engineering faculty, said they have left it to the departments to decide whether they want to split a class into multiple batches.