State government formulates SOP for reopening of colleges on November 17

Bengaluru: The department of higher education has formulated SOPs (standardized operating procedure) as per the UGC guidelines, in view of the opening of degree, engineering, and diploma colleges in the State from November 17.

Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwatha Narayana, who is also the minister of higher education said that preparation is underway to enable the start of the off-line classes.

"The SOP has separate advisories set for the students of the final year and the classes will be conducted accordingly. Likewise, there are separate advisories set for the students of first and second-year students of the courses," he said.

Postgraduate and final year students who wish to attend classes physically should bring in the consent letter of their parents in the prescribed format duly signed by them. While conducting the physical classes social distance needs to be maintained by taking into account the total number of students and the available total number of classrooms, as per the guidelines of the health department and the present advisories.

Teaching, practical and project classes should be conducted on shift system, if it is necessary. For those students who want to skip attending physical classes, an online facility will be there.

Contact classes should be conducted every day to facilitate students to clarify any doubts and resolve issues of such students with regard to topics, as per the SOP.

"The time table should be prepared at the college level itself so as to enable to maintain the social distance as per the guidelines of the health department and the present advisories based on the total number of students and the available number of classrooms while conducting the contact classes," it said.

According the SOP, the teaching faculty should prepare the study materials required for the duration of one month based on each period/session and compulsorily send it to concerned students via Telegram/ WhatsApp/E-mail.

Study materials should be in the form of video lectures, PowerPoint Presentations, E-Notes, E-Books, Audio Books, Practice Questions and it is also mandatory to upload it on the website of the college.

All those students (exclusive of post-graduation and final year) who attend online/ contact classes can stay in hostels located on-campus or off-campus, read the SOP.

Apart from these the SOPs, general guidelines which include cleaning of buildings, entrance, furniture, teaching materials by sanitizers, COVID-19 test of teaching faculty, students, and non-teaching staff, and others. ANI