Final year Class PG courses are approved to operate with 100% attendance rate.
With the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in Kerala, colleges in the state will reopen on October 4 after more than a year in compliance with the health protocol. Sajukumar, joint secretary in the higher education department, said in an order that final semester classes of degree and postgraduate courses would begin to strictly adhere to the COVID-19 health protocol.
“All institutions under the Department of Higher Education will start functioning from October 4,” it said. Final year PG courses will be held with full attendance while it will be 50 per cent for the final year degree course, it said, adding that the times may be fixed by the College Council according to the space available at the institution.
Practical science classes should be given importance, the order said, adding that other semester classes will be conducted online.
The order said, “Classrooms, libraries and laboratories should be well sanitized before the commencement of classes and organizations may seek assistance from the concerned local self-government bodies, health workers or NGOs.”
The state government has asked the concerned institution heads to ensure that the students will follow strict COVID-19 health protocol. “Organizations must ensure adequate supply of masks, sanitizers and hand washing facilities. Gatherings should be avoided,” the order said.
It instructed institutions to contact the Department of Health to arrange vaccination drives for students and staff. On September 7, Chief Minister Pinarayi Bijayan announced that all higher education institutions, including technical, polytechnic and medical, would be allowed to work for final year students from October 4. He said, however, that the reopening of the institutions would be subject to the condition that all final year students, faculty and staff receive at least the first dose of the vaccine.
As part of easing restrictions, the government decided to lift the curfew that night and lift the “severe” restrictions on Sunday. The chief minister said the decision was taken as a result of the state’s overall positivity rate, which was around 18.49 per cent in the last week of August, had come down to 17.91 in the first week of September.
(PTI)