In a move to resume the academic activities that have come to a halt since more than three months against the backdrop of the COVID pandemic, the University of Hyderabad has set up a task force that will chalk out a road map.
University of Hyderabad had suspended all academic activities on March 15 in line with COVID-19 guidelines.
The task force has as many as 12 members, headed by Prof Vinod Pavarala, former Dean of the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts & Communication. The task force will make consultations with various stakeholders of the University and work out an action plan for the academic year.
According to the University, the task force will suggest "practical steps for starting classes for ongoing students as well as for those who will be joining the University this academic year,” besides examining and recommending a range of teaching methods incorporating face-to-face, online, and blended modes of delivery of course content.
The task force will also recommend appropriate measures to upgrade the institution’s ICT infrastructure to be able to address the challenges of online education.
The statement further stated that the varsity intends to reassure existing and future students and their parents, that the University will spare no efforts to sustain the high-quality education that it is known to offer, even as it addresses concerns ranging from on-campus health and safety concerns to online learning issues during the pandemic crisis.
The task force will also study the scheduling and mode of the University's annual entrance examination that is normally held across the country for admission to its various postgraduate and research programmes.
The last date for submitting applications for this year's admissions was June 30, 2020. The group which will remain functional till December 31, has also been asked to monitor the implementation of the decisions taken by the University on these issues.