Jaipur, Jan 18 : Around 10 months after the Covid-19 pandemic threw Kota’s Rs 3,000 crore coaching industry towards partial shutdown and brought in a digital switch overnight, the Rajasthan district on Monday opened its doors to students again, following the new normal norms which included ultra-violet lighting for sanitisation in classrooms, and marking seats with stickers to ensure social distancing.
Crowding inside the campus, shaking hands, and maintaining close contact with friends are not permitted at any point of time in the coaching centres, while exchange of drinking water bottles, textbooks, stationary and food items are also not permitted.
On January 6, the Ashok Gehlot government had announced to reopen schools, colleges and coaching centres looking at the dip in Covid cases in the state.A standard operating procedure (SOP) was issued to all the coaching institutes and hostels.
The District Collector of Kota, Ujjawal Rathore, said, “We formed a three-member team with an education officer and representatives of the police and the district administration to do rounds of the institutes from Monday.Many meetings have been held with the heads of coaching institutes and hostels, and more are planned in the coming days.”
As per the Covid-19 SOP released by a leading coaching institute in Kota, physical distancing is to be maintained as per the institute’s guidelines.
Also, use of face masks is mandatory at all times inside the institutes.
The SOP further says that used masks and tissue papers should be disposed off properly.Hands need to be washed frequently and alcohol-based hand sanitisers should be used wherever feasible.
The students have been asked to bring their own sanitiser, towel, water bottle and food items from home.
Students with any symptoms of Covid-19 (sneezing, coughing, running nose, fever) will not be allowed to attend classes and the institute holds no responsibility in this regard.
In case of medical emergency related to Covid-19, primary medication will be provided by the coaching centres till the arrival of the parents or guardians which is expected at the earliest, it said.
Students have also been asked to install the ‘Aarogya Setu’ app on their mobile phones.
Also, negative report of RT-PCR test for Covid-19 is mandatory before entering the campus.For those who are unable to get it done at their respective hometowns, arrangements have been made for them at the government hospital in Kota.
The students should remain quarantined till the report is received
