Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 8: Taking a U-turn on its earlier direction of opening offices in the universities and colleges across Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory Government today ordered that all the Educational Institutions and Training Institutes in J&K shall remain closed till May 31, 2020.
The fresh order has been issued by the General Administration Department to rectify the Higher Education Department decision of opening offices of all colleges and universities notwithstanding the extended lockdown.
“In continuation to the Government order number 477-JK(GAD) of 2020, dated 17-04-2020, read with Government order number 525-JK(GAD) of 2020, dated 03-05-2020, it is hereby ordered that all the Educational Institutions/ Training Institutes in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall remain closed till May 31, 2020,” says the fresh order, issued on very first day of opening of the universities and colleges.
Pertinent to mention that the Department of Higher Education had issued an order on May 6, according to which, the offices of Vice Chancellors, including Head of Departments and Principals of Government Degree Colleges of Higher Education Department and Principals of Polytechnic Colleges and ITIs of Technical Education Department across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir had to start functioning from May 6 with minimum 30 percent staff strength on rotation basis.
The order had further directed the Principals of respective Institutions to draw duty roster of teaching as well as non-teaching staff to start routine official work as assigned by the controlling officer of the institution while Research Scholars were also permitted to start their activities in the lab.
This order was clear violation of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ guidelines on the measures to be taken by the Government authorities for containment of COVID-19 for the extended period of National lockdown and the same was highlighted by the Excelsior in its May 7 edition.
In its today issue, the Excelsior also drew attention towards the fact that most of the college campuses were declared quarantine centres to isolate the suspected patients of COVID-19 and hence it was highly risky for the lives of the staff to visit the offices there.
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