IIM Calcutta has suspended online display of answer scripts of MBA students that was scheduled for March 21 and the convocation that was slated to be held on April 4.

The Joka B-school also cancelled online and in-person interviews that were to be held in Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta next week.

A member of the admission committee of the institute said the decision to cancel the interviews had been taken because of the health emergency related to the coronavirus outbreak and the advisory from the central government stating that all exams and evaluation should be rescheduled after March 31.

Metro on Thursday reported that some teachers of the IIM had written to director Anju Seth seeking to know why the institute was still open and academic activities were going on unhindered.

The teachers had objected to the decision to display answer scripts on the campus on March 21 since that would entail an interaction between the students and the teachers.

Seth told Metro on Thursday that she was making arrangements for online display of the answer scripts. Several teachers, however, objected to the process because online display, too, would require the presence of a number of teachers and other employees on the campus to set up the facilities.

“Besides, as the message for the online review of scripts had gone out late, I don’t think it was feasible to set up the facilities at such short notice. It’s good that even the online exercise has been suspended. We are worried what the students who have already arrived on the campus to see the answer scripts would do,” the teacher said.

The notice on the display of answer script states: “The human resource development ministry’s notice received on March 20 indicates evaluation work may be rescheduled after March 31. In light of the MHRD notification, display of answer scripts is scheduled to a date post March 31 to facilitate the request for re-evaluation by the students….”

An official said the institute had suspended the convocation scheduled for April 4 because the authorities do not want the campus to host any large gathering at a time governments are calling for social distancing to prevent spread of the coronavirus.

Interview of the students who have cleared CAT from Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta were scheduled for March 23, 24 and 25, respectively.

“We are through with other cities. First, there were plans that our faculty members would fly to Delhi and Mumbai to hold the in-person interview. As air travel is being discouraged, we thought of doing it online. Now, that too has been cancelled,” said the official.

Repeated calls to director Seth went unanswered. She did not respond to text messages either.