Calcutta University has decided to keep only departments providing emergency services, like audit and accounts and controller of examinations, open with 50 per cent attendance till further orders because of the rise in Covid-19 cases. The departments will function following Covid protocols.

In a notice signed by the university’s registrar, the faculty have been requested to “carry on the academic activities via online mode only”.

Members of staff and officers have been advised to take care of their own health and look out for symptoms like fever, respiratory problems etc. “If feeling unwell, they are advised not to come to the university,” the notice said.

The decision was taken after Covid cases were reported on campuses like College Street, Ballygunge Science College and Rajabazar Science College, a university official said. “Those infected include teachers, research scholars and administrative staff. Some are admitted in hospitals,” he said.

Audit and accounts, the controller of examinations, PhD, migration, transcript and registration are the departments that will be open with half of the staff strength, the notice issued by registrar Debasish Das said.

The campuses have been shut for in-person classes as a precaution against Covid since March last year.

“Some teachers were coming to the campuses to attend their labs following all the safety protocols. But under the circumstances, we won’t allow that,” said vice-chancellor Sonali Chakravarti Banerjee.

In the previous (odd) semester that had ended in March, CU was the only university in Bengal that reopened its campuses for practical classes, allowing teachers and postgraduate students to access the labs. In the even semester, which started in April, practical classes have been stopped because of the spike in Covid cases. “Now, access to the lab for some teachers has been stopped as well. This will continue till the situation stabilises,” said a CU official.

Parthiba Basu, the president of the Calcutta University Teachers’ Association, said there was a genuine need to restrict the access to the labs, following a spurt of cases.

“I have stopped visiting the labs over the past ten days. Research scholars have been told not to come. I have written to the VC on behalf of the university community to hold vaccination camps for the teaching and non-teaching employees,” said Basu, who heads the zoology department.