Keeping IITBBS open all through and running the academics in normal standards in a totally unpredictable and deadly Covid-19 pandemic was a very bold decision, whose implementation was very frightening.
During the lockdowns, especially, Lockdown-1, it was not only the students who stayed back in the campus (felt the campus safer and not wanting to expose themselves to the virus on the way back to home), the staff, faculty, their families staying in the campus, the other staff, but also 2000 construction workers who were staying in the campus and wanting to go far off homes by foot like the lacks of workers that did across the nation with a lot of loss of life. It was a big challenge to persuade and control them from their multiple attempts and agitations to go, making the PMC and the contractors, look after and take care of them, ensuring isolation and ensuring their health safety and safe passage to their homes by proper transportation after Lockdown-1.
But we could overcome all the challenges in our strides and ran academics in uncompromised standards during the pandemic. With all the students (including the fresh 1 st year students) back in the campus and restoring the academics and other activities fully as usual with their physical presence very well ahead, possibly we could set a unique national example. Also possibly it is done in rarest of standards across the globe too, showing that Indian Institutes can perform at the level of the cream of global class. Certainly, it is a very gratifying to all.
This kind of unique achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the readily available exceptional support and ‘rearing to go’ attitude from the Covid Task Force and the Medical Unit, especially, Prof VR Pedireddi, the Chairman and Dr MA Khan, Convener with commensurate protection mechanisms for Covid. They never said know to the challenging proposals continuously flowing from me with ready agreement and ‘rearing to go’ attitude from Prof PR Sahu, DAC on ‘academics’. I would be failing in my duty, if I do not acknowledge the outstanding service and support received in the exceptional implementation from the house-keeping unit, wardens, and the security unit, by the side of others.
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