Colleges in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai to not reopen next week

According to reports, colleges in Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai will not reopen from Monday, February 15.

Mumbai’s civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a letter to Mumbai University stated that the civic body is to take a decision regarding the same by February 22 after reviewing the effects of resuming Mumbai locals for everyone. However, colleges in Raigad and Palghar under the university’s jurisdiction will welcome their students after an 11-month-long break next week.

The Maharashtra government had earlier passed a resolution allowing universities and colleges to start physical classes from February 15. In the state, Pune and Nagpur universities have got permission from their local authorities while the Amravati varsity has not, at least in February.

Last week, State Minister for Higher and Technical education Uday Samant announced that colleges can reopen starting February 15 with not more than 50 per cent of people on campus at any given time. On February 5, Mumbai University (MU) released a circular stating the guidelines as prescribed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) on the phased reopening of colleges. Moreover, the circular issued by MU also made it clear that institutions located in containment zones should not be allowed to reopen, which partially explains the decision to require approval from the collector’s office before bringing the students back.

The state government had earlier given permission to the authorities for starting colleges, the guidelines for which have been issued by the Central and State Government, which the universities will have to follow strictly in view of the outbreak of the coronavirus. However, without any decision undertaken by the civic body as of now, colleges in Mumbai await the phased reopening of educational institutions.