Back to College: VCs, Directors of centrally-funded institutions can decide when to conduct physical classes, says UGC

Universities and colleges in India have been closed since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, following which classes and exams have gone online. With the easing of the lockdown restrictions across the board and more and more businesses and institutions re-opening every day, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has now decided to issue guidelines for the eventuality of physical classes in colleges and universities across the country. While all higher educational institutions, including state and private universities, have been asked to follow the mandate of their respective state/UT governments for re-opening, the re-opening of Centrally-funded institutes have been left to the discretion of their respective institutional heads.

Mentioning the usage of masks and maintaining social distancing, the guidelines also state, "For Centrally Funded Higher Education Institutions, the Head of the Institution should satisfy herself/himself regarding the feasibility of the opening of physical classes and decide accordingly." This rule applies to all central universities and institutes, including all IITs, IIMs, NITs and so on. While the Vice-Chancellor is the head of the institution for Central Universities, the Director is usually the head of the institution for centrally-funded autonomous institutions like the IITs.

A list of some of the major Central Universities and Institutions of the country, who have to follow this particular guideline, is mentioned below.

Universities:
- Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
- University of Delhi, New Delhi
- Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi
- Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
- Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh
- English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad
- University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad
- Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur
- Assam University
- Pondicherry University, Puducherry
- Nalanda University, Bihar

Autonomous institutions:
- Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
- Indian Institute of Management (IIM)
- National Institute of Technology (NIT)
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
- Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT)
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
- National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)
- National Institute of Design (NID)
- Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC)
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS)