Major educational institutes, such as Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay), will be continuing their lectures online for the first semester of this academic year 2021-22.
Students pursuing various higher educational programmes at TISS said their practical learning and field work has been impacted. A student of TISS, on the request of anonymity, said, "I did not secure admission in TISS to sit at home and pursue a course focussed on social work virtually. I opted for the institute because the exchange of ideas and sharing of research information takes place on campus. My learning has been impacted adversely."
Another student of the institute, who returned to his native place in Maharashtra, said, "I am unable to gain practical exposure or participate in activities that would usually be conducted if our campus was open. I understand the limitations due to the pandemic. Our campus should reopen in phases and allow students who are fully vaccinated and willing to return to campus."
Students have not returned to campus because the institute has not reopened offline lectures or hostels. PK Shajahan, professor of social work and Dean of Academic Affairs at TISS, said, "We will continue the first semester of the new academic year 2021-22 via online mode. We cannot have a blended approach or conduct offline lectures because our campus has not reopened for students."
Shajahan added, "Our hostels on campus are shut so we cannot accommodate students who have returned to their homes and native villages due to the lockdown. Students are continuing to pursue field work through the organisations near their homes in order to gain practical learning."
