IIM Calcutta has decided to switch to online classes from Monday after 28 one-year MBA executive programme students tested Covid positive over the past few days.
In all, 76 students are pursuing the programme, classes of which started last week.
Manish Thakur, dean, new initiatives and external relations at IIM-C, said the switch was part of containment measures. “The duration of the online classes would depend on the emerging scenario. Students have recorded mild symptoms...,” he said.
The count of the infected has gone up to 28. On Friday, the number was 24. The infected students are being quarantined at the Tata Hall.
The dean said “the situation is stable” and there was no need at this stage to ask the remaining students to vacate the campus.
An official of the institute said those infected could attend the online classes on their smart devices. “Others can attend the classes from their hostels,” he said.
The Calcutta Municipal Corporation officials visited the campus on Saturday.
The team from the office of the deputy chief medical officer of health (CMOH) took details of the cities the students came from.
“Cases are steadily going up in places like Kerala, Delhi. So, it is important to know the places they came from,” said an official of the civic body.
They also spoke to the IIM-C officials about the steps they have taken so far.
An official of the health department said they have decided to test the samples of the affected students to determine the strain that is at work.
A team from the corporation will set up a facility on the campus to test the remaining 58 students.
“If it emerges that the number of infected students is shooting up, then the CMC could set up a containment zone on the campus,” said an official of the civic body.
In early January four hostels — Tata Hall, Ramanujan Hostel, Lake View Hostel and New Hostel – of the B-school had been declared as containment zones after more than 50 students tested positive on the campus.
An IIM official said, unlike the scenario in January, this time students of the two-year MBA programmes are not on the campus .
“The graduating batch has left the campus having received degrees at the just concluded convocation. Those in the first-year are attending the summer internship. Still we are taking all steps to check the spread...,” he said.
