Jadavpur University has resolved that teachers could take online classes for BTech fourth-year students as many of them who are from outside the city are finding it difficult to get paying guest accommodation for a short duration, a JU official said.
Classes in the ongoing semester will be held only for two months.
The council of engineering and technology faculty met on Wednesday and allowed the departments the option to conduct classes over digital platforms, if required, said pro-vice-chancellor Chiranjeeb Bhattacharya, who is also acting dean of the faculty.
A JU official said that an exception has been made for students who are in the fourth-year, constituting the last non-domiciled outgoing batch who had taken admission in 2018.
JU introduced a domicile clause in the engineering faculty in 2019, reserving 90 per cent of the BTech seats for those residing in West Bengal continuously for at least for 10 years and whose parents have permanent addresses within the state.
Students from the last non-domiciled batch come from states like Bihar, Jharkhand.
Many of them used to stay in the PG accommodations, besides staying in the hostels, before the pandemic set in March 2020, necessitating online classes as a precaution against Covid thereafter.
The Bengal government allowed resumption of offline classes from February 3 following a dip in cases and those who stayed in the PG accommodation, are finding it difficult to get accommodation for a period of two months.
“Usually the landlords let out the accommodation on contract lasting eleven months. Nobody is ready to sign a contract that would last two months. If they cannot find accommodation, they will not be able to attend offline classes,” he said.
Dean Bhattacharya said, the fact that many of the fourth-year students are attending industry internships, is also coming in the way of attending physical classes.
“Usually students internships at the third-year. Amid the pandemic, the schedule has been pushed to fourth-year,” said Bhattacharya.
A JU official said, they have also left it at the level of an individual teacher in a department to decide on holding online classes in consultation with the concerned students.
A section of engineering students at JU staged a protest on February 8, alleging that some teachers were insisting on online classes even after the state government has allowed resumption of in-person classes following a dip in Covid cases.
“An exception has been made for those who are in the fourth year,” said a JU official.
