'Staff should not be forced to attend college; Online classes to continue from home:' M Kalaichelvi, Coimbatore’s Joint Director of Collegiate Education

Even as the spike of Covid-19 infections have increasingly cast a cloud over the state of Tamil Nadu, educational institutions including schools and colleges have been shut until further notice by the State Government.

Examinations which had been scheduled earlier have also been postponed with only practical exams and online classes scheduled to be held. However, in a letter directed to all the Government colleges including self and financial-aided, the Joint Director of Collegiate Education in Coimbatore, M Kalaichelvi announced that all professors of colleges and universities will be permitted to conduct online classes from home, considering the increasing number of active Covid-19 cases, as per the Revenue and Disaster Management Act (DM-IV).

The Joint Director has asked all the Government colleges to follow the instructions given and not to force staff to attend college. The move comes after the Joint Director heard that staff have been forced to attend colleges to conduct online classes and for NAAC-related work. The letter also instructed the colleges that such incidents flout the norms of GO.