The University Grants Commission (UGC) is going to build a mobile application to inoculate the varsity students. Only students, teachers, officials and employees can register and get vaccinated through this app developed with the help of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department.
According to UGC sources, not only students, but also new teachers, officers and employees of the universities, who are below 40 years of age, can also register through this app and get vaccinated under special procedure. Students who have not reached the age of 18 or have not received a national identity card, they will be able to get vaccinated by registering through this app with birth registration certificate.
In this context, Ferdous Zaman, UGC secretary said that two lists have been submitted to the Education Ministry. The first list has 91,000 students with national identity cards and 12,000 teachers-officers and employees. There are 3.5 lakh students in the second list. They are ready to vaccinate them as per the government decision.
He said, "An app is being developed in collaboration with the Department of Information and Technology to enable students to get vaccinated quickly and without any hassle. Students and teachers whose information we will input in this app will be eligible to register. Therefore, SMS will be sent to their mobile phones once the government approves. But it depends on whether they get vaccinated or not, as per the government decision."
Meanwhile, at a virtual press conference yesterday, the Minister for Education Dipu Moni said that the university and their residential halls would be reopened after ensuring the Coronavirus vaccination of the teachers, students and employees.
"Information on teachers, students and staff of various universities obtained from the UGC to have them vaccinated has already been sent to the Ministry of Health. The dormitories of the universities will reopen and classes will resume only after the vaccination is confirmed,” she said.
However, those universities which do not have halls likely to be reopened from June 13, she mentioned.
According to UGC, the number of students in public universities across the country is 3.5 lakh. Of the 120 residential halls of the varsities, there are seats for 1 lakh 30 thousand students where more than 2 lakh students reside. Among the residential students, national identity cards of 91,000 students have been found. UGC has sent their complete list to the Ministry of Education.
In all, list of 1 lakh 3 thousand students, teachers and employees has been sent. All of them will be vaccinated once the government gives approval.