Hyderabad, Mar 24 (IANS): Authorities in Telangana have postponed all the undergraduate and postgraduate exams until further orders.

The decision by the State Council of Higher Education came a day after the government ordered closure of educational institutions in view of the spike in Covid-19 cases

The state government on Tuesday announced that all government and private educational institutions except medical colleges will remain closed till further orders. It said online/distance learning will continue as earlier.

Following the orders, all schools and colleges were closed on Wednesday. The residential schools, hostels and messes asked the boarders to return home.

Department of Collegiate Education announced that while online classes can continue, offline exams are rescheduled in view of the orders issued by the state government.

Following postponement of all UG/PG exams, the Osmania University instructed all boarders of the university hostels and messes to vacate the facility as they will be closed from Thursday.

The university said as per the directions of the Telangana government, it decided to close the hostels and messes, to prevent and control the spread of Covid-19.

"All the boarders of the hostels and messes are hereby informed that their mess facilities will be closed wef from 25-03-2021 (after lunch). The boarders are hereby informed to vacate their hostels accordingly," Chief Warden G. Srinivas Rao said in a statement.

Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad announced that all the ongoing regular and supplementary examinations of the university have been postponed in view of the prevailing Covid pandemic conditions. Registrar Dr M. Manzoor Hussain said revised dates of examinations will be announced later.

Meanwhile, the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education has warned junior colleges against conducting classes. Board Secretary Omer Jaleel said strong action will be taken if any college is found conducting classes in violation of the government orders to close all educational institutions till further orders.