Many universities, degree colleges’ teachers lost battle to Covid
Two LU profs, 12 from degree colleges, 2 from RML Awadh univ and 5 from RMLaffiliated colleges among those who succumbed to the deadly infection
LUCKNOW: University campuses in Lucknow and adjoining areas have somehow managed to contain the Covid spread as compared to Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) where several serving teachers succumbed to the fatal infection.
Lucknow University (LU), however, lost two of its serving professors—Padma Shri Brijesh Kumar Shukla, dean arts, who died on April 6 and prof KC Pandey, head, philosophy department, LU, who died on April 15—to Covid, said LU Teachers’ Association chief Vineet Verma. He said the passing away of the two professors had left the teaching community shocked.
“There are about 100 teachers who along with their families reside on both old and new LU campuses. Prof KC Pandey, who was living inside campus with his family, unfortunately lost battle against Covid while his and other teachers and their families have either recovered or are recovering,” said LU spokesman Durgesh Srivastava.
The university got most of its hostels vacated soon after Holi when the pandemic was at its peak on the campus after many teachers and hostel provosts tested positive. The timely eviction helped in containing the virus spread. The last public event was a seminar in March end after which several teachers contracted infection. Thereafter no such event was held, an official said.
“However, from different aided degree colleges affiliated to LU, there were about 12 serving teachers who succumbed to Covid,” said Manoj Pandey, chief, Lucknow University Associated College Teachers’ Association (LUACTA).
At Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya, a physics professor Naresh Choudhury and Amit Bhaskar, a faculty member from engineering department, besides five teachers from aided degree colleges died of Sars-CoV-2, said Dr Vijay Pratap Singh, president, Teachers’ Association, Ayodhya.
At Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, approximately 35 teachers and their family live on campus. The sprawling campus has a proper boundary wall and private security guards in place. Some of them were infected but they recovered. “The god was kind and many of our teachers have recovered now,” said Rachna Gangwar, the spokesperson for the university.
At Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow, there are around 22 teachers who reside inside the campus with their families. A few families got infected but they have all recovered now. The university carried out sanitisation drives at regular intervals, said vice chancellor, prof SK Bhatnagar, who is in home isolation and on the path of recovery. He said, “We got the hostel vacated by mid-April.”
“Around 22 faculty members stay on the campus. A good number of them above 45 years have taken the first dose of the Covid vaccine. The legal aid clinic of the university under the supervision of chief proctor Dr Manish Singh is busy helping the corona victims even outside the campus by making available hospital beds and oxygen through online mode,” the vice chancellor said.
“The Lohiya Law University has a resident doctor who is available 24×7 on the campus. Chief security officer Col Agni Singh, who stays on the campus, has tightened the vigil and entry to the campus is restricted. Singh ensures corona protocol behaviour on the campus,” he added. At Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University too, quite a few teachers live inside the campus. “Fortunately, the teachers, who tested positive, have recovered now,” said vice chancellor prof Anil Shukla.
Likewise, at Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, (IIM-L) too, nearly 100 teachers and their families reside on the campus. “Hardly 10-15% of our colleagues and their families were infected. All are now on the road to recovery. No fresh cases were reported since April 28,” a professor, who did not wish to be identified, said.
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) lost one of its faculty members Dr Piyush Jaiswal of nano technology to Covid on May 8. He was undergoing treatment at King George’s Medical University (KGMU), said vice chancellor prof Vinay Kumar Pathak.
Covid gripped over 150 staffers of AU, its colleges, 75% cured
In Prayagraj, coronavirus has infected over 150 teachers, administrative officials and nonteaching staff of the Allahabad University (AU) and its 11 constituent colleges besides their family members in the past few months. Confirming it, Chitranjan Kumar, assistant public relations officer, AU, said, however, more than 75 percent of them had recovered now.
“We have also had over 10 deaths of serving teachers and staff, including associate professor Rajeev Singh from JK Institute of Applied Physics, prof Rashmi Dixit from music and performing arts department, prof PC Singh of English department of AU. We also lost prof Hari Prakash and his wife prof Ranjana Prakash, both retired teachers of physics department of AU to Covid besides a retired teacher from CMP Degree College Hemlata Srivastava,” he added.
Many BHU profs, other staff hit, mostly recovered
In Varanasi, around 40% of 700 academic and non-academic employees and professors, mostly residing on the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus, caught Covid infection. “Fortunately, 70 percent of them have recovered while the remaining are under treatment,” said a senior BHU official pleading anonymity.
A doctor, who also didn’t wish to be named, said some senior professors were admitted to Sir Sundar Lal Hospital, IMS-BHU, a level-3 (L-3) hospital, here but were discharged after recovery.
Corona affects many Agra’s Ambedkar Univ staffers
In Agra, 10 faculty members in residential wing of Dr BR Ambedkar University tested positive for Covid but they all later recovered, said spokesperson for the university Dr Pradeep Shridhar.
Two professors Dr Rajeev Agnihotri and Dr Manish Masih of the university’s constituent St John’s Degree College succumbed to Sars-CoV-2 infection in the second wave of the pandemic, he added.
Besides two faculty members Dr Pradeep Kumar Paurush and Dr Harish Sharma of the university’s Agra College and former principal of BD Jain Girls’ College Dr Sujata too died of Covid, Dr Shridhar said.
Meerut university: 4 die, over 25 under treatment
In Meerut, four teaching and non-teaching staff, both retired and serving, of Ch Charan Singh University succumbed to the Covid in the ongoing second wave of the pandemic, said prof PK Sharma, the university’s chief warden and former dean faculty. Besides more than 25 teaching and non-teaching staff of the university were under treatment, he added.
As per him, former HoD, psychology, prof (retd) Beer Singh died of Covid infection on Tuesday. Earlier, teaching assistant Pawan Kumar, 38, also lost his battle to corona. Technical assistant in Chotu Ram Engineering College, Shakshi Bansal, 35, and another staffer Roop Narayan also succumbed to the deadly infection, he added. He said barely 10 to 15 percent staffers had accommodations inside the university campus.