With the decline in COVID-19 cases in India and the first phase of vaccination, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) authorized all activity outside of safe zones in its February unblocking guidelines. The Home ministry has left it up to the states to issue SOPs (standard operating procedures) for educational institutions to admit more than 200 people in a closed space.
This has been the center’s booth since October 2020. The MHA has asked states to continue to implement containment measures and SOPs for various activities and to encourage appropriate behavior in COVID-19.
The new guidelines says “It emphasizes … that to fully overcome the pandemic, caution is required and the mandatory containment strategy must be strictly adhered to, which emphasizes vigilance, containment and strict compliance with the directives of the MHA and the Department of Health and Family Welfare ( MOHFW).”
Also read: MHA announces guidelines on reopening of schools and colleges
Earlier, the MHA allowed a maximum of 50 percent of the room’s capacity with a 200-person ceiling inside for education, religious sports, and other gatherings. From now on, such meetings are permitted subject to the SOPs of the State and Union territory in question.
Most states have either reopened schools and colleges in their state or plan to gradually reopen beginning February 1. The College Grants Commission (UGC) released guidelines for the reopening of colleges and universities on November 5.
