New Delhi: The Delhi University is now contemplating asking aspiring students whether they have been vaccinated or not — to keep a record as the national Capital starts entrance examinations for various courses here.
While Jamia Millia Islamia has already started with entrance, DU is gearing up for it amid COVID-19. Amidst the scare of Covid-19, DU officials have hinted that they would seek details of candidates' vaccination status at the time of the online registration for admission to various undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programmes across its colleges and departments this year.
"We will create a database for students who are vaccinated. This however has nothing to do with their admission. We will compile different data on those students who are fully, partially vaccinated or not vaccinated," a DU official said.
Students in the universities have been demanding that they be fully vaccinated at the behest of the administration. "Before the universities start physically, we should be fully vaccinated for our safety and safety of others," Harouneet Kaur, a final year DU student said. The demands by the students have gone unheard, as of now.
DU is yet to take a final call on the matter but it is also planning to collect data on the vaccination status of all students already enrolled across its colleges. "I will soon be writing to all the principals to collect information from all students and teachers on their status of vaccination. We will help those students who could not get vaccinated as of now. We want our entire university to be vaccinated before we reopen and re-start physical classes," DU acting vice-chancellor PC Joshi said.
Colleges across DU have been shut since March last year in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The university reopened briefly in November last year for laboratory work of final year research students but it was again closed in April when the second wave of the pandemic hit the country.
The universities are still shut with Education Ministry yet to issue the guidelines, regarding the reopening of the university.