RONO HILLS, Mar 30: The Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) authorities have provided temporary accommodation to three stranded students in one of the vacant teachers’ quarters in the university campus.
RGU Joint Registrar, Dr David Pertin, informed that the step has been taken after reports surfaced on social media platforms about the students being stranded in the university’s hostels.
One of the students is pursuing master’s degree, while the other two are research scholars.
The university’s administration has meanwhile appealed to the people to “refrain from commenting on social media, based on inaccurate information, in such hour of crisis.”
“Let us be very careful while commenting on any situation. Let us not be driven by emotions. During such serious health-related problems, first we must abide by the given protocols and health advisories,” RGU Registrar (in-charge), Prof Tomo Riba, said.
He said the decision to suspend classes and shut down the hostels was not taken in a hurried manner, as alleged on social media.
“There was a directive from the University Grants Commission on 5 March, and from the state government on 16 March. Accordingly, on 17 March, at 10:30 am, a meeting was conducted under the chairmanship of the vice-chancellor, which was attended by the pro-vice-chancellor, all the statutory officers, the joint registrar, the deputy registrar, senior medical officers, the dean of student welfare, and others, and it was decided to close the classes from 18 March.
“Closing the classes would be meaningless if the hostels remain running. Same crowding would be there in the hostels, especially in the mess. Thus, it was also agreed to close the hostels from the evening of 19 March. And accordingly, all the boarders left.
“There was a gap of almost a week between RGU’s order for closure of hostels and the subsequent lockdown order from the state government. There was enough time,” Prof Riba said, adding that the university authorities have been following the advisories from the central and state government authorities.
The RGU administration also informed that the university has created a ‘task force monitoring committee’ for combating Covid-19, and that “colony- and sector-wise volunteers have been appointed for ease in supply and distribution of essential items in the campus during the lockdown period.”
