Deputy Chief Minister and Higher Education C.N. Ashwath Narayan has asked Vice-Chancellors (VCs) of all the universities to ensure that students above 18 are vaccinated by July 7.
In a press release, he said that if required the date can be extended by two or three days.
Students above 18 years are being vaccinated as a priority to facilitate resuming of physical classes.
The date of opening of offline classes, the Higher Education department said, will be dependent on the success of this vaccination drive. However, students will not be forced to take the vaccine.
Data provided by the Higher Education Department showed that as on Wednesday, 2.58 lakh college students and staff have been vaccinated in drives conducted across campuses. Of these, 2.26 lakh were students, 18,976 were teaching staff, and 12,646 non-teaching staff.
The Health and Family Welfare Department has estimated that 20 lakh staff and students have to be vaccinated. However, officials said that many may have received their dose from neighbourhood vaccination drives or hospitals. “We are yet to collate the data of teachers and students who have been vaccinated outside of this drive,” an official in the department pointed out.
Meanwhile, regarding reports of vaccine shortage, Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar said with SSLC exam scheduled and reopening of classes in the offing, eligible students would be given priority. “I will discuss the matter with the Union Minister during my Delhi visit on Monday,” he said.
