IIT Bombay drops classroom lectures this year, opts for online classes

In a Facebook post late Wednesday night, IIT Bombay Director Professor Subhasis Chaudhuri said 'the next semester will be run purely in the online mode so that there is no compromise on the safety and well being of the students.'

“The COVID Pandemic has made us at IIT Bombay rethink the way we impart education to our students. To ensure that our students begin the academic year without further delay, we are planning on extensive online classes details of which will be informed to all students in due course of time," IIT Bombay Director Professor Subhasis Chaudhuri wrote in the post.

The post also had an appeal for students from economically less privileged families. "A large section of our students come from economically less privileged families and would require a helping hand to equip them with the IT hardware (i.e. laptops and broadband connectivity ) to take these online classes. We look forward to your overwhelming support to help these bright young minds to continue their learning without any further hindrances or delays. We We have estimated that we need about ₹5 crores to help those needy students." the post read.

Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus cases in India has reached 4,73,105 , according to the Union Health Ministry data. Maharashtra is the worst-hit state followed by Delhi and Tamil Nadu.