Students and teachers at Jadavpur University have urged its Executive Council (EC) to hold a tripartite meeting with the West Bengal Higher Education Department regarding vaccination of students, research scholars, faculty and staff along with matters related to reopen the campus.
The EC is the highest decision-making body of the university.
"Updates regarding different steps taken for the preparedness of reopening the campus be made on a regular basis to all the stakeholders," stated a resolution taken at the meeting held on Tuesday.
Participants at the meeting demanded that a policy decision regarding the priority of a vaccination drive against Covid-19 be made by a committee appointed by the EC within this week.
The possibility of a 'Decentralized Vaccination Drive' should be explored by the same committee, the resolution said.
The participants included Dean of Science, Prof Subenoy Chakraborty, Dean of Arts Prof Madhumita Chattopadhyay, Dean of Students Dr Rajat Roy, Registrar Dr Snehamanju Basu, besides representatives of Arts, Science and Engineering students and those of teachers' bodies JUTA and ABUTA. The SFI recently demonstrated in front of Jadavpur University demanding gradual reopening of the campus which is closed for the past one and a half years due to the pandemic and free vaccination of all students.
The JUTA had also written to the state education minister urging him to take steps for free vaccination of students and expressed concern that not all pupils can avail of online classes at UG and PG levels due to digital divide, severely affecting their academic career.