Bengaluru: On Friday, the Karnataka government decided to open all colleges from November 17. This includes degree, engineering, and diploma colleges. They made the decision during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yedyurappa with Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, who also holds the Higher Education portfolio and other officials concerned.
The classes are due to begin following Deepavali celebrations. The students, however, have an option between attending offline or online classes and will need parental consent to attend offline classes. To ensure safe and secure learning, the state government will release a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) that all the colleges will have to follow. It will consist of testing, screening, sanitization, etc.
This move was taken in the interest of good education and securing the future of students. "November 17th, after Deepavali, we are opening colleges for students who want to attend classes. It is optional. This has been a demand of the students as it is their future," said Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Ashwath Narayan.