He further said that ITI and polytechnic students can also avail these benefits.

Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government had issued Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for schools across the state to strictly adhere to when the classes commence from September 1 for ninth to twelfth standards.

According to which 50 per cent students will be permitted at a time by duly following the appropriate SOP, the government directed the school education department to take necessary preparatory action and prescribe appropriate SOP for conducting classes regularly.

Schools should function six days a week and classes and sections have to be split into batches of not more than 20 students per classroom, as per the SOP. If no additional rooms are available, then students shall be asked to come to school on a rotational basis on alternate days, the GO said.