NIT Durgapur has asked the project and research scholars to return to the institute after giving an undertaking that they have taken both doses of a Covid vaccine.

The undertaking must also contain the dates of the doses.

A notice signed by the institute’s dean of students welfare on Saturday states: “All willing PhD scholars/project staff who have been vaccinated both the doses (1st and 2nd) for COVID 19 may be allowed to come to the institute/hostel on August 01-07, 2021, subject to the recommendation from the supervisor, the head of the department and their parents.”

The students need to fill in a Google form —https://forms.gle/ydjd8SNxrY2MLKwA9 - by July 29.

The institute’s website mentions the email address where the undertaking in the prescribed format - signed by the student, supervisor and the head of the department - will have to be submitted.

“Since cases are still being reported all over, we want to maintain maximum possible caution,” said Anupam Basu, the director of the institute.

In the third week of April, the NIT had decided to close the hostels and asked the 250-odd research scholars and 37 MTech students who had returned to the campus to vacate hostels “immediately”. The decision was taken to contain the spread of Covid-19 following a renewed surge.

In the declaration form addressed to the institute authorities, a student has to state: “I request you to allow me to access the department laboratory of the institute to accelerate my research at NIT Durgapur. I assure you that I shall obey all rules and regulations of the institute and am bound to follow the SOP issued by the ministry of health and family welfare time to time.”

The supervisor has to declare that the research work to be carried out by the student is of extreme exigency.

“In any unusual situation, I/We will extend my/our support to the student, if required,” the supervisor has to commit.

A parent has to state in the declaration form whether anyone who lives at his or her address has returned from domestic or international travel in the last 14 days or been in physical contact with a Covid-19 patient recently.

“Is any one who lives at your address currently under a form of self isolation as the result of an order of a government authority or as the result of a recommendation of a health professional?” reads a question in the declaration form.

The parents will have to tick “Yes” or “No” against each question.

Director Basu said that if the number of cases rose again, the students would be sent back home.