Students asked to quarantine & appear for exam

Amid the rising coronavirus cases, a private dental college located near Pune city in Maharashtra has asked over 150 of its students to appear for examination in person next month, af ter getting quarantined there for two weeks. Students of the undergraduate and postgraduate dental courses of the D Y Patil Dental College and Hospital in Pimpri town said they have been asked to take COVID-19 test before leaving from their respective cities and reach college at least two weeks prior to the exam and get quarantined.

The students and their parents have demanded that the exams be postponed in view of the COVID-19 situation.

The college authorities, however, said all safety measures, screening, social distacning norms, sanitation will be followed during the exam. This exam was supposed to be held in the first half of the year. But due to the coronavirus situation, it had been postponed, they said.

A relative of one of the students, who does not want to be named, said, "The management has asked the students to come to the college by the first week of September and get quarantined for two weeks before appearing for the exam in the third week of that month."

"Ever yone knows the situation in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. Besides, there is a COVID-19 isolation facility on the college campus. Despite all this, the college is asking students to come and appear for the exam," he said. He added that the college should postpone the exams as the coronavirus situation in Pimpri Chinchwad is not good. "Since most of the students are from out of the state, they will have to come either by plane or bus and there are a risk of contracting the infection in the process," he said. -