The Union home ministry on Wednesday issued guidelines permitting states to take a call on reopening schools outside containment zones from October 15 and also allowed cinemas to operate at 50 per cent capacity.

States and Union Territories will consult the schools to assess the situation and decide on reopening, the Unlock 5 guidelines issued by the government says. Coaching centres will also be allowed to reopen.

In Bengal, chief minister Mamata Banerjee has said there is no chance of schools reopening before Kali Puja in mid-November.

States and Union Territories can allow from October 15 social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious, political and other events with a ceiling in enclosed spaces.

However, in open spaces, the size of the ground and other such areas will decide the number of people to be allowed at the gatherings. This is expected to facilitate rallies in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly polls.

The reopening of schools will be subject to the following conditions, according to the Centre:

⚫ Online/distance learning shall continue to be the preferred mode of teaching and shall be encouraged.

⚫ Where schools are conducting online classes, and some students prefer to attend them rather than physically go to school, they may be permitted to do so.

⚫ The written consent of parents is must for students to attend school and also coaching institutes.

⚫ Physical attendance must not be enforced, and must depend entirely on parental consent.

⚫ States and Union Territories will have to prepare their own standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding health and safety precautions for reopening schools and coaching institutions. The SOPs will have to be based on the one issued by the department of school education and literacy under the Union education ministry and in keeping with local requirements.

⚫ Schools that are allowed to reopen will have to follow the SOPs.

Higher education institutions meant only for research scholars and postgraduate students of science and technology who require laboratory facilities will be allowed to reopen on October 15.

Cinemas, theatres and multiplexes outside containment zones will be permitted to reopen with a ceiling of 50 per cent of the seating capacity from October 15. In Bengal, cinemas have been allowed to reopen on October 1 but the establishments have decided to wait till the I&B ministry issues the SOPs.

Entertainment parks and similar places will be permitted to reopen from October 15.

Only those swimming pools that are used for the training of sportspersons will be permitted to open from October 15.

Business-to-business (B2B) exhibitions will be permitted from the same date. The SOP will be released by the department of commerce.

Lockdowns in containment zones will continue till October 31 and states will not be allowed to enforce lockdowns outside these areas.