JNU sets up COVID-19 taskforce to monitor outbreak
May 02, 2020
New Delhi [India], May 2 : The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Saturday announced the introduction of a COVID-19 taskforce to monitor the outbreak in the nation.
As per a statement, the university has put up useful information on the website and recommended measures for maintaining health security in the premises.
The university's committee had been entrusted with the task of submitting recommendations over deft handling of the post-COVID-19 scenario.
Vice-Chancellor (VC) of JNU M Jagadesh Kumar said, "In view of complex difficulties arising out of the national lockdown, top university officials, including the deans and chairpersons of special centres, have held numerous meetings through the digital mode and brought to its end a decision on holding online classes, mid-semester and end-semester examinations."
The VC added that after wider consultations and holding of centre meetings, the deans and chairpersons of special centres submitted recommendations on the scheduling of tests, conducting examinations and completing the evaluation processes to him by their respective schools/centres, which were overwhelmingly endorsed by council members.
"Knowing well that JNU ordinances do not allow student participation in discussions and decisions related to evaluation matters, some students have fed misinformation to the media that they were not consulted while taking decisions on mid-semester and end-semester examinations for the current semester. This is not only deplorable but also harmful to the interests of the student community, as thousands of students now at their homes could be victims of such misinformation campaign," the statement said.
It also said that the inter-hall administration of JNU has been consistently at work to look after more than 800 students who are staying in the campus, and payments to contractual staff and salary to faculty, officers and staff have been made.
The security unit is keeping round the clock vigil to enforce the lockdown and ensure observance of social distancing and other advisories of the central government.
The JNU administration appealed to the people to desist from misinformation campaigning and said that all people are going through a crisis and it is important to refrain from any disruptive activities, which would be self-damaging, the statement said.
The administration also appreciated the cooperation of the JNU community in the campus for strictly adhering to the COVID-19 guidelines issued by the university and government.
