Colleges in Meghalaya, closed since the lockdown in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will reopen on February 1, state Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said on Thursday.

The decision was taken after a meeting with the heads of the institutions whose classroom lectures have been suspended due to the contagion, he said.

"We have already discussed this matter and decided that the reopening of colleges should be from February 1," Rymbui said.

North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) is working on the syllabus for the colleges affiliated to it, an official said.

In a notification issued on Wednesday, the education department had said classes will be held both in classrooms and online modes and follow strict precautionary protocols for COVID-19.