IIT-Bombay starts shutdown over COVID-19

With 22 COVID-19 positive cases in Maharashtra, the IIT-Bombay on Saturday suspended all classroom lectures and laboratory practicals with immediate effect till March 29.

Hostel inmates have been encouraged to leave and go home after informing the concerned Hall Manager though foreign students have been permitted to continue staying there, said a notification on Saturday.

Similarly, students pursuing their Masters or doctorates have been allowed to stay and continue with their projects only after exercising adequate precautions.

Today's directives were issued by IIT-Bombay Director Subhasis Chaudhuri, and other top officials A.K. Suresh and Prasanna Mujumdar after detailed consultations with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai officials, according to an official spokesperson.

Students who plan to return after completing internships/exchange programs/conferences have been asked to go home directly instead of coming to the IIT-Bombay campus.

Similarly those students/faculty/staff or their relatives who have returned from any of the COVID-19 affected countries in the past 14 days must inform the campus hospital for a health check-up.

The 24x7 reading room in the Central Library will be shut down until March 29 and the IIT-Bombay authorities are exploring alternative modes of delivery of courses.

Local staffers who commute have been asked to work-from-home wherever possible without affecting the functioning of their particular departments and heads have been instructed to prepare human resources plans accordingly.

Staffers in essential services will continue to attend duties as usual, construction workers and other employees of various campus bodies will follow the guidelines for the other campus residents and all security personnel will wear masks and gloves.

Besides these directives, campus residents have been told to keep their outings for essential purposes, refrain from inviting outsiders and adhere to all health advisories. Anybody showing symptoms of possible infection must report to the campus hospital. IANS