COVID-19: No offline classes in colleges, universities of Chhattisgarh in view of surge

RAIPUR: Due to a steady rise in COVID-19 cases in Chhattisgarh, the state government on Thursday ordered that offline classes in colleges and universities be stopped with immediate effect, and also set an attendance cap for academic and non-academic staffers in these institutions, an official said.

The state's higher education department in its order asked the colleges to conduct the first and second semester exams of all courses online or in a blended (online+offline) mode, he said.

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"Physical classes in all government and private universities and colleges should be prohibited with immediate effect and classes should be held online," the public relations department officer said, quoting the order.

"Besides, instructions should be issued to academic and non-academic staffers of colleges and universities to attend their workplace in one-third of their total strength on the basis of roster method," he said.

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The first and third semester examinations of all courses (conducted as per the semester system) for the academic session 2021-22 should be conducted in online or blended mode. The universities concerned may issue detailed guidelines in this regard, he added.

The state government has already shut schools in those districts where the positivity rate of COVID-19 infection is four per cent or above. Following that order, schools have been shut in several districts, including in state capital Raipur. On Wednesday, Chhattisgarh's COVID-19 count had jumped to 10,38,060 with the addition of 5,476 cases, while the death toll had gone up by four to 13,627.