It is likely that the administration of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) will issue a notification on Sunday, February 13, regarding the resumption of offline classes and with that, the wait to get back to campus might end soon for students.
Chief Proctor of the university, Waseem Ahmad Khan, shared that the university might open in a phased manner though, the tentative date for reopening is not out yet, as per a report in PTI.
After DDMA (Delhi Disaster Management Authority) issued guidelines to reopen all educational institutions, many universities, including Delhi University (DU) and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), have already made announcements regarding the resumption of the offline mode of education. Jamia Millia Islamia is yet to make an announcement. It is Khan who informed that the notification regarding reopening might be issued soon, most likely on Monday.
Khan said that the notification will have details like when the university will reopen, which courses will commence in the first phase and so on. He said PhD scholars plus physiotherapy, dentistry and final-year students might be given priority.
With regards to exams, Khan said if classes are held offline, exams too will be offline. When it comes to preparing to reopen, as per a report in PTI, he said, "Look, there will be some problems as classes were closed for the last two years. Hostels, canteens are closed for the last two years. It will take time to get things in order. Planning is underway to get things started. We are planning to give a new contract for the canteen. We are also planning to begin repair work for hostels. We need to complete the restoration of the classes."
To ensure safety amid the pandemic, students returning to campus will be required to furnish RT-PCR reports and vaccination certificates as well. All guidelines will be followed, he said.
It may be noted that the university is yet to commence the application process for the allotment of hostel rooms. The hostels at Jamia can accommodate 3,500 students. Hostel rooms are being prepared, planning is on and the application process will begin soon, Khan said.
Student outfits like the All India Students' Association (AISA) along with students of Jamia Millia Islamia have been staging protests to demand the reopening of the campus.
