Delhi University likely to ask if candidates are vaccinated or not

The Delhi University (DU) is likely to 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, said officials, adding that it will not affect the eligibility of students and is just to help create a database of students’ vaccination status before the university reopens physically. The varsity is also planning to get the vaccination status of its existing students.

The online registration process for admission to DU — similar to last year — is likely to begin in mid-July. The admission process got delayed this year due to the cancellation of Class 12 exams in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The university is likely to add a column in the registration form asking candidates if they are partially vaccinated, fully vaccinated, or yet to be vaccinated. This has nothing to do with their admission. It will be collected only to create a database for the university so that it can prepare well for the future. At the time of reopening, the colleges and departments can directly contact students who were not vaccinated during admission and help them get the shots,” said a senior DU official.

To be sure, DU is yet to take a final call on the matter. The official said that, if included, the registration form will give three options to candidates — partially vaccinated, fully vaccinated, and not vaccinated.

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.

Meanwhile, DU is also planning to collect data on the vaccination status of all students already enrolled across its colleges. DU acting vice-chancellor PC Joshi said, “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.”

The union ministry of education is yet to issue guidelines for the reopening of education institutions after the second wave of the pandemic.

Manoj Sinha, secretary of DU Principals Association (DUPA) and principal of Aryabhatta College, said that it would be helpful for the colleges also to keep a record of vaccinated or unvaccinated students. “The university should go ahead with this idea since this will be excellent for the colleges. It won’t be possible to reopen colleges before our students and teachers are fully vaccinated,” he said.