Tamil Nadu government, aided engineering colleges to reopen this week

A decision was taken in this regard by the high-level committee of the Higher Education department, as the counselling for engineering admissions are expected to start from June. The plan is to reopen colleges from August as per the fresh guidelines issued by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

A senior official from DoTE told DT Next that oral instructions were already given to the principals all State-owned engineering colleges to open the institutions with minimum faculty members and non-teaching staff for carrying out works in connection with the coming academic year.

"It was also instructed that rotation system could be adopted so that all the faculty members and non-teaching employees would have a chance to work," he added.

The principals were also asked to ensure that all the safety measures, including sanitisation, were undertaken in the institutions, the official, adding that vehicles would be provided for the staff who are dependent on public transport.

"The colleges were asked to prepare duty chart that should be convenient to the staff," said the official. These institutions were asked to submit attendance data of the faculties and other staff to the directorate every week.

However, opposing the move to reopen colleges, the Association of University Teachers (AUT) alleged that this would create fear among the staff as many engineering colleges are located near quarantine areas.

"Many colleges, including Government Engineering College, Salem, and Thiagarajar College of Engineering in Madurai are located in quarantine area," said AUT president N Pasupathy, adding how the Coimbatore Institute of Technology has already prepared the duty chart for the faculties and other staff.

Stating that the DoTE should have discussed the matter with faculty associations before taking a decision on reopening colleges, the AUT leader said the government should allay the fears of the staff before reopening the institutions. “Many professors and staff are stuck in their native, and it would be difficult for them to come,” he added.