Calcutta University will only call third-semester postgraduate students for in-person classes from November 16.
The students of the first semester are not being called now. These are the only two batches that have classes now.
The university has given individual departments the liberty to conduct classes in a blended mode, splitting a batch into smaller groups.
The decision on staggered reopening was taken at a meeting between CU vice-chancellor Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee and the departmental heads on Tuesday.
Hostels will be reopened for students in the third semester.
A CU official said at some departments as many as four students shared a bench.
“But that won’t be advisable as maintaining physical distance is a must now. Maximum two students can share a bench. So the departments have been given the liberty to split a class into smaller groups. The groups will take turns in attending in-person classes,” he said.
“The students in the groups that are not attending in-person classes on a given day will listen to the lectures on digital platforms.”
A teacher in the microbiology department said there were certain classes that were jointly conducted by four departments because of the commonality of a paper.
Microbiology, biotechnology, genetics and neurosciences hold a class jointly that is attended by 50 students.
“But if we are to maintain physical distance, this class has to be split into smaller groups,” the teacher said.
VC Chakravarti Banerjee said that two departments, commerce and business management, said at Tuesday’s meeting that they wanted to run classes in a blended mode - in-person as well as on digital platforms.
“We will again review the situation in December to decide on the course of action,” she told The Telegraph.
Sources said some department heads insisted that the first-year postgraduate students be called to the campus as well for their practical classes.
The VC then promised to review the situation in mid-December and make a decision.
“Since admission to the first year at the masters’ level in some departments is still on, she suggested that the teachers wait,” said a CU official.
As for the university’s own undergraduate programmes in BTech, home science and law, pro-vice-chancellor Asish Chatterjee said, the departments will decide who they want to call in strict adherence to physical distancing norms.
“Those in first year at our undergraduate programmes will not be called now,” he said.