Educational institutes, especially postgraduate ones seem to have taken the new variant Omicron seriously, and rightly so it seems. From issuing fresh timings for hostel and campus entry and exit, even taking a stroll in the evening is bound by rules.
Some of the institutes that have decided to be safe than sorry, include IIT Bombay, SIMC (Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication), and DY Patil.
Rupesh Kumar from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communications (SIMC), Pune said that evening walks are not the same anymore. “Earlier I would take a walk anytime but now I have to think whether it is within permissible hours.”
Rupesh also said that anyone leaving campus for more than 2 days or even going for a shorter while to a different city has to undergo an RTPCR test and they can return to the campus only if the test is negative.
The students understand that the rules are made for them but the idea of taking permission for everything sometimes gives him the feeling of being restricted.
At DY Patil College in Nerul, the mess timings have undergone a change. The mess which earlier started at 7:30 am up to 11 pm has now become 7:30 am to 10 pm. No student or faculty can visit the mess after 10 pm.
“We don’t have many restrictions as such since the campus is packed with students including doctors, postgraduates and resident doctors,” said Meghali Bari, a student of DY Patil.
At IIT Bombay, the older rules are being enforced with more energy. Saket Mosha, General Secretary of Hostel Affairs, IIT Bombay, said thanks to the ongoing pandemic the hostels are not packed. “Outsiders can be brought to rooms by submitting I-Cards at the security desk. But they are not allowed to stay in student hostels,” he added.