From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 24: All college students of 18 years and above, teaching and non-teaching staff will be given vaccines on a priority basis and a decision on reopening the colleges will be taken after the first dose, deputy chief minister and Covid Task Force chief Dr C N Ashwath Narayan said in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Dr Narayan, who is also the higher education minister, announced that an official order on the vaccination drive will be launched as per the union government guidelines in coordination with all the officers concerned.
The decision on reopening of degree colleges after vaccination was taken at a recent meeting convened by the chief minister and the meeting also decided to ensure that students, teaching and non-staff were vaccinated before the reopening. The vaccination drive will be carried out in the respective colleges, he said.
All the vaccinated persons must get the certificates from their respective institutions. The heads of colleges and a nodal officer will also be appointed to oversee the arrangements.
Dr Narayan said there will be a separate Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the special vaccination drive. The nodal officers and the heads of institutions must ensure that all the eligible persons are vaccinated, he said.
After administering the first dose of vaccine, the decision on conducting offline direct classes will be taken, he said.
The deputy chief minister said teaching in colleges will not be stopped irrespective of vaccination and made it clear that it will be carried out in the digital mode. The students can physically attend classes after getting vaccinated or attend online classes from their places. However, attendance in online or offline mode is compulsory.
He said the immunity level in the individuals will increase in the persons after getting the first dose. Even if infected after the first dose during physical attendance in classes, it will not be dangerous and safe. It is necessary that all students, teaching and non-teaching staff must get themselves vaccinated, he said.
Though the Delta Plus variant cases have been detected in the state, the state government has made all arrangements for treatment and medicines. The vaccines currently administered in the State are capable of withstanding the Delta Plus variant cases, he said.
Kalanidhi online music concert
The deputy chief minister said the 'Kalanidhi 2021' online music concert will be held in the city for three days from Friday and streamed on the social media platforms in aid of the artistes facing difficulties due to the Covid pandemic.
The Kalanidhi music concert is being organized under the leadership of noted singer Vijay Prakash from 7 pm to 10 pm on Friday and Saturday and from 4 pm to 10 pm on Sunday.
Vijay Prakash, Sono Nigam and over 100 artistes, budding musicians will be participating in the online music concert, Dr Narayan and BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said appealing for generous contributions. Even as the music concert is streamed on YouTube and other platforms, details for remitting payments will be displayed, they said pointing out that the amounts will be directly distributed into the bank accounts of artistes in distress.