As Covid-19 cases decline, Jammu & Kashmir to reopen colleges from Feb 1

With overall improvement in Covid-19 situation in recent months, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to resume classes in colleges from February 1.

The winter vacation for colleges in Jammu will end on January 31 while as the winter vacation for degree colleges in Kashmir ends on February 14. Covid-19-related rules, health and safety guidelines will be strictly followed when colleges reopen.

Secretary J&K Higher Education Department, Talat Parvez Rohella said the physical class work for students in Jammu colleges will start on February 1 while as in Kashmir valley it will resume from February 15.

Read | J&K schools to reopen in phased manner from Feb 1

He said classes will be held while adhering to all Covid-19 SOPs already issued by the government. “We will take all precautionary measures for resuming classes. Sanitization of college premises and other precautionary measures will be taken care of by the department,” Rohella said.

The colleges will reopen for the first time for normal class work after almost a year. Like rest of the country, all the educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities in J&K were closed in March last year in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The J&K government has already ordered for reopening of schools in J&K in a phased manner from February 1.

Jammu and Kashmir has apparently witnessed a substantial drop in its average daily number of Covid-19 cases reported in recent months. From the peak of over 1,600 positive cases per day in September, the number has come down to below 100 odd cases in the recent days.