IIT Kharagpur to seal all hostels after student staying in campus tests COVID-19 positive
On August 19, an IIT Kharagpur student tested positive for the novel coronavirus. An official told PTI, “The student was sent to Kolkata”.
On August 19, an IIT Kharagpur student tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Reports suggest that the student has been staying in the hostel and the institute has decided to seal all the hostels. According to the reports, in June, the institute had asked all the students to leave the campus and return after two months. However, few who got stranded because of the lockdown, remained in the hostel. The boy who tested positive was one of them.
Student corona positive at IIT Kharagpur
An official told PTI, “The student was sent to Kolkata”. A notice issued by the institute’s hall management centre said, “All students who are presently staying in the campus must vacate the Halls (hostels) latest by Aug 23, 2020, and proceed to their hometowns”. Reports suggest that it was even before this incident that the college authorities had decided to ask its students to not come back for the next semester as the classes will be held online from the month of September.
The institute reportedly has around 12,500 students and researchers who stay at hostels. Registrar B N Singh told PTI, “The COVID-19 situation is still alarming and we cannot endanger the health of our children. We have asked the guardians not to send their wards to the institute till asked. The institute would follow the advisories of the West Bengal and central governments regarding opening of campuses and assess the situation periodically on its own”.
Talking about online classes, Singh said, “However, online classes for the next semester will not be delayed. It will start from September and students will be asked to attend those classes from home”. When asked about students who are living in remote areas with poor connectivity, Singh elaborated, “They will have a way out I think. They can use smart phones of others and avail network facility from a connected place nearby”. The college has also come up with the provision of special classes in case the student is unable to attend classes due to some reason. However, special classes will only take place once the situation in campus normalizes.
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(Image Credits: PTI) (With inputs from PTI)
Published By : Akanksha Arora
Published On: 20 August 2020 at 14:51 IST