Colleges and universities in Maharashtra will resume physical teaching-learning activities from October 20. However, in order to attend offline classes, students must be fully vaccinated, Maharashtra Higher Education Minister Uday Samant said on Wednesday. Earlier this month, the state government had allowed the reopening of schools for higher classes.
To facilitate reopening of colleges, teaching and non-teaching staff should complete their vaccination on priority, the minister said.
"All the non-agricultural colleges, state-run universities, deemed universities, self-financed universities and colleges affiliated to them can start holding physical classes from October 20. The teaching as well as non-teaching staff should complete their vaccination on priority," Mr Samant said.
"Only the students who have taken both the doses can attend the classes. Those students who are yet to complete their vaccination against COVID-19 should get it on priority by coordinating with their respective colleges," the minister said.
About reopening hostels, the minister said, the colleges are supposed to discuss the issue with the officials of the higher and technical education department. Those students who need to stay at hostels will be intimated by their college administration, the minister added.
A proposal to allow students to board local trains in Mumbai and neighboring areas will be submitted before the state chief secretary soon, the minister added.
The decision related to how many students should attend a class would be taken after discussing the matter with the local authorities. Every university should issue the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to the colleges affiliated to it, Mr Samant said.
