Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said the state government is thinking of resuming classes at medical colleges on the condition that students, teaching and non-teaching staff should have taken both doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar said the decision to resume classes at medical colleges is being taken to ensure that the state does not face any shortage of doctors in the future. "We are thinking of taking a decision to allow classes to resume at medical colleges, both government and private. The only condition is that students, teaching and non-teaching staff should have taken both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine," the deputy chief minister said.

Every year, thousands of doctors pass out of medical colleges, and if classes are not conducted, new medical professionals will not pass out, causing a shortage, he said. Pawar said he is going to have a meeting with the chief minister over the issue and Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh will also be consulted.

Speaking about the restrictions in Pune, Pawar, who is also the guardian minister of the district, said considering the current positivity rate, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune rural will continue to be in level three of the state government's five-level plan to ease COVID-19 curbs.

Pawar further since the preparations for Wari processions are currently underway, around 306 devotees, who were supposed to take part in the event, underwent RT-PCR tests. Of 306 devotees, 23 tested positive for COVID-19, and all asymptomatic persons have been shifted to a COVID-19 centre in Mhalunge area, he said.

Speaking about a meeting called by him in relation to some issues, including the merger of 23 villages in the Pune Municipal Corporation, where Mayor Murlidhar Mohol was absent, Pawar said there is some misunderstanding. "Being the first citizen of the city, the mayor was invited, but news reports said that he was not invited. I have spoken to him. There was some misunderstanding. I have given standing instructions that for any such meeting involving civic administrations, the mayor must be invited," he said.