Madhya Pradesh unlock: Universities, colleges to reopen from September 15, details here

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New Delhi: After reopening schools in the state, the Madhya Pradesh government on Saturday (September 11) announced that universities and colleges will resume offline classes with 50 per cent attendance from September 15. 

“All teachers and non-teaching staffers have been asked to conduct classes with 50 per cent students from September 15,” state Higher Education Minister Mohan Yadav said in a release., PTI reported. 

The teaching, non-teaching staff and students will be required to submit certificates of their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, the minister said. Strict COVID-19 appropriate behaviour will have to be adhered to in college and university campuses, he added. 

“Online classes for students will continue, and officials have been asked to chart out a timetable for online and offline classes,” Yadav stated. Besides, libraries, hostels and mess will be reopen in a phased manner keeping in mind the coronavirus guidelines. 

MP has around 1,400 colleges and 56 universities with nearly 13.5 lakh students, out of which two lakh are freshers. 

Earlier, schools for Classes 6 to 8 were reopened in the state with 50% capacity, while for Standard 9 to 12, schools were reopened daily with about 50% attendance from September 1. The decision was taken at a COVID-19 review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. 

Madhya Pradesh has administered over 5 crore COVID-19 doses by September 9. Out of the total doses administered, around 4 crore 10 lakh people have been administered with the first dose while over 95.4 lakh have received the second anti-COVID jab, as per the CMO. MP has set a target to achieve 100 per cent first dose vaccination of the eligible population by September 30, ANI reported. 

Meanwhile, the state logged five fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday (September 10), pushing the caseload to 7,92,311. With one fatality, the death toll mounted to 10,517, a health department official said. The state has currently 130 active coronavirus infections.

(With agency inputs)