The official website of the University Grants Commission (UGC) has released a notice regarding COVID-19 relevant conducts to be followed by higher educational institutions.
According to the UGC notice, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has claimed that strict COVID-19 protocols should be followed and carried out by the educational institutions.
According to UGC, “The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare dated 10.12.2021 has requested to ensure strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behaviour at all times and all places in universities, colleges and other institutes of Higher Education.” UGC has directed the varsities/ colleges to maintain all necessary protocols/ guidelines because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The UGC has requested higher educational institutions to take proper decisions regarding the conduct of physical classes and the reopening of campus. Since the outburst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many guidelines have been issued by the University Grants Commission concerning the academic calendar, examinations and reopening of institutions.
Several Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs were issued with regards to the conduct of examination during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the subsequent lockdowns; keeping that in mind, the UGC released some notifications dated April 29, 2020, July 6, 2020, July 8, 2020, September 29, 2020, November 5, 2020, and July 16, 2021, the Commission stated.
The notice for reopening universities by the UGC is available at: https://www.ugc.ac.in/pdfnews/0626368_UGC-Letter-Regarding-COVID-Appropriate-Behaviour-in-HEIs.pdf.
Also to add the University has also recently issued a required notice regarding the grant of maternity leave to women students.
The Commission has made a provision in the UGC (Minimum Standards and Procedure for Award of M.Phil./Ph.D. Degrees) Regulations, 2016 which states, “The women candidate may be provided Maternity Leave/Child Care Leave once in the entire duration of M.Phil/Ph.D. for up to 240 days.”
The Commission has requested all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to frame proper rules and regulations about granting maternity leave to the women students enrolled in their respective institutions and affiliated colleges.
