NIT Durgapur has started a survey to find out the vaccination status of all its students in preparation of their possible return to the campus in phases.
The institute has started recalling research scholars.
As staying away from classrooms and laboratories are hindering studies of engineering students, the institute is exploring the possibility to recall students of all levels, an official of the institute said.
A notice signed by the dean of students, Rajat Mahapatra, last week says: “All UG and PG students are requested to fill up the following Google form for a survey of vaccination among the students by 27th September. This is being conducted for the consideration of return back of the students phase-wise subject to following the advisory….”
In the form, the respondents have to say whether they have taken any dose of a Covid vaccine, or one or both doses, and whether they want to return to the campus.
“Since Covid has not subsided as yet, parents may not be willing to send their sons or daughters to the campus,” said an NIT Durgapur official.
Based on the survey, the institute will decide whether they need to organise a vaccination camp on the campus for the students.
The NIT last month had to withdraw the condition that the research scholars willing to return to the campus have to be fully vaccinated against Covid, following an appeal from students citing shortage of doses.
“If the Bengal government allows the reopening of the institution after Puja, we will start the recall. Before that we have to know how many of the students will have to be given the jabs — first or second - and make arrangements accordingly,” he said.
NIT director Anupam Basu said the institute intended to recall students at the master’s level in the first phase.
“Those in the second and final year of the MTech programme have not seen the institute at all because of Covid. They need to have access to the research facilities,” said Basu.
IIT Kharagpur has decided to recall the 1,400-odd students pursuing the two-year MTech and MSc programmes, provided they are fully vaccinated, so they can attend practical classes.
In the later stages, NIT Durgapur plans to recall the undergraduate students.
An official of the institute said some of the undergraduate students had informed them that their studies over online platforms were getting disrupted because of unstable networks or power outages.
In January, the institute had appealed to its alumni for aid as, the institute said, “it is very important to bridge the digital divide that is threatening the future of many students in the present pandemic situation due to lack of resources and facilities at the institutional level”.
The institute had put on hold its decision to bring back final-year BTech students to the campus from March 15 following the rise in Covid cases across the country.
Around half the students at the NIT are from other states.