The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata, has decided that all research activities will remain suspended for 21 days from Monday because of a rise in the number of Covid cases on the campus, an official of the institute said.

The administrative committee of the Kalyani institute had on December 4 discussed the Covid situation with members of the students’ affairs council and decided to suspend research activities.

“From December 7 till December 27, the research complex, TRC, AAC Building, library and computer centre will be closed for the students. Faculties are allowed to enter respective offices as usual,” reads a circular issued by the dean of students’ affairs.

The circular says the situation will be reviewed on December 18.

In-person classes at the institute have been suspended since March as a precaution against Covid. Research has been allowed to resume, in compliance with the Centre’s Unlock guidelines.

The institute had recalled students, who are mostly pursuing the MS programme and vacated the campus before the onset of the lockdown, to the campus in October.

As for the remaining scholars, a decision will be taken later.

“Remaining PhD/IPhD (integrated PhD)/16 MS (master of science) will be notified in due course for their campus entry,” the circular states.

The dean of students affairs, Balaram Mukhopadhyay, said they would take stock of the situation every week before taking a call on the next course of action. “Although the circular says the situation will be reviewed on December 18, we will assess the situation each week,” Mukhopadhyay told Metro.

The researchers and other students who are on the campus have been asked to remain confined in their hostels so long research activities will remain suspended. All of them will be tested for Covid.

Since the testing facility set up on the IISER campus last month had to be disbanded following a row with students, the institute will use the facility on the campus of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology in Haringhata.

The tech university campus is less than 5 km from the IISER.

Two research scholars at the IISER had last month been suspended allegedly because they questioned the institute’s handling of Covid testing on the campus. They had wanted to know why the canteen staff were not being tested for Covid-19.

According to the circular, the day scholars who don’t stay in hostels will only be allowed to enter the campus to collect food (if needed) from the canteen. “They are not allowed to enter the hostels or roam around the campus,” the circular says.

The IIT Kharagpur campus had remained closed from September 6 to 20 following an increase in the number of Covid cases on the campus.