BENGALURU: Students at the Indian Institute of Science are worried about the Covid-19 outbreak on the campus. What is worrying more is that there is no clarity on the scale of the outbreak. While there are reports that 44 tested positive on the campus, a number of departments and a hostel were sealed down, K V S Hari, Registrar, neither confirmed nor denied it.
However, he told The New Sunday Express that the institute had about 500 students returning to the campus. Those who returned followed quarantine guidelines. The institute has not stopped the re-entry of students and those in their final year of research programme were sent a personalised letter to opt to return.
Returning is not mandatory and needs the approval of the research adviser, Hari said, adding that many students can do their work remotely and have chosen to do so.
A resident of the campus told TNSE about the “lack of transparency by the administration”, and is now left with no option but leave for home. “There is no consistency between the emails sent by the registrar and the numbers reported by wardens or even media,” the resident said.
The Registrar said the institute is “transparent with the community and that is our primary responsibility.” The institute is looking at conducting the first semester of the 2020-21 session online. The new academic year will face a delay, Hari said, “We are waiting for UGC guidelines about the start of the next academic session,” he said.