IITs Call On The Centre To Step-In And Vaccinate Their Students On Priority As States Struggle To Procure Vaccines

The Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) are said to have called on the Government to expedite the vaccination of their students so as to facilitate their return to the campuses, reports The Indian Express.

The IITs are believed to have raised the matter in a meeting with Union Minister for Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’. They are said to have requested the Government to step in and help prioritise the vaccination of their students as the State Governments have been unable to procure enough vaccines for the 18-44 years age group.

The said meeting was attended by not only the IITs but also the directors of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITs), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) and the National Institute of Technology (NITs). The meeting was held through a video-conferencing medium.

During the meeting, Pokhriyal reviewed the status of online classes and virtual laboratory courses. He is said to have been requested by the IITs for a year’s extension for the scholarship for PhD students, as they have lost time due to the lockdown.