Kolkata: Saptarshi Roy had just started his third-semester classes in 2020 when the novel coronavirus pandemic broke out and his college was shut down.
His professors had assured of reopening shortly but the possibility seemed to grow fainter as Covid cases grew and stricter restrictions were imposed. When the second wave struck, Saptarshi gave up all hopes of returning to the campus ever as he was also nearing the end of his college life. On Tuesday, it seemed too good to be true when he saw the familiar faces of his professors and met his friends after the Covid hiatus.
"Both schools and colleges may need to tweak a few things after the first day's experience. There would have been a little bit of chaos on campuses — plus a lot of euphoria and some amount of wariness — but the focus must be on Covid-safety measures so that there is no spike. Bringing back those who have not yet been able to return to campus should be the ultimate aim.-TimesView"
Priyanka Dastidar, a sixth-semester student, had reconciled to the fact that she might graduate without going back to her college again. During their chats online, Priyanka and her friends would often make plans of meeting outside the campus, given the bleak chances of institutes reopening amid the pandemic. It was a huge surprise when she received the first message of the possibility of campuses reopening. Shortly, she received a series of reopening messages, rekindling her hope of returning to the campus.
Saptarshi and Priyanka are not alone. Several thousands of students, who had assumed that they would finish their college without being able to go back, were thrilled to meet their professors and friends again on Tuesday.
Bhaswar Haldar, a history honours student at Presidency University, was in his last UG semester when campuses shut down. “Now, I have reached the last year of PG. I was certain I would have to complete my PG online because there was no sign of educational institutes reopening. I have only a few months left but something is better than nothing,” Bhswar said. His apprehension was not unfounded as some students had to make do with online farewells.
Even now, several institutes have not called junior students to the campus. Those in senior classes and those with lab-based subjects have been given the priority. Some may not call first- and second-semesters to the campus before January. “When our seniors passed out, we thought even we would not be able to return to college. Thankfully, colleges have reopened. But we will have to be careful as any spike in Covid cases may lead to another closure,” said Neha Singh, a Jaipuria college student.
