The SOPs are based on the activities allowed by the Ministry of the Interior in the framework of “Unblocking 4”, the order of which was issued on August 29.
According to the SOP for the reopening of the school, which would take effect on September 21, 2020, students in Class IX and beyond could visit schools on a “voluntary basis, to receive guidance from their teachers.”
Students will be allowed to visit schools subject to the written consent of their parents / guardians and visits and teacher-student interaction should be organized in a staggered manner.
The SOP for Higher Education stated that entrepreneurial training has been allowed in national vocational training institutes, industrial training institutes, short-term training centers registered with the National Skills Development Corporation or State Missions of Skills Development or other Ministries of the Government of India or state government, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) and their training providers.
For institutions of higher education conducting doctoral or technical and professional programs that require laboratory / experimental work, the higher education department will allow in consultation with the MHA.
Both SOPs outlined several generic precautionary measures to be taken, in addition to specific measures to be taken when schools allow students, including physical distance of at least six feet, mandatory use of face covers / masks, frequent hand washing , self-control of health for all and report any illness and prohibition of spitting, among others.
Only schools and higher education institutions will be allowed to open outside the containment zones. In addition, students, teachers, and employees who live in containment zones are not allowed to attend school / institutions and are advised not to visit areas that are within non-containment zones.
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