60 RGNUL Patiala students test positive for COVID-19 in 2 days; administration postpones offline exams

At least 60 students of the Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) Patiala have tested positive for COVID-19 on campus in the last two days, sources revealed.

Following a representation made by students of the University highlighting concerns regarding the outbreak, the RGNUL COVID Committee held a meeting where the following decisions, among others, were made as per the advisory issued by medical experts:

1. The end-term exams to be postponed - revised schedule will be rolled out in due course;

2. Lectures for the remaining syllabi will be conduced online;

3. Students who haven't been tested positive to vacate the hostel and RGNUL Campus as per the advisory issued by local administration before May 10.

Speaking to Bar & Bench, a fourth year law student at the University said that on Tuesday, 44 students tested positive, most of whose reports came only this morning.

"The only step that was taken by the administration is that they arranged for RT-PCR tests for students on campus on 3rd and 4th of May. Until Monday, students were going out to private labs to get tested. However, the tests being conducted by the University-arranged medium is only for mouth swabs and not nasal swabs, which is against the MCI guidelines.

The infrastructure is inadequate on campus as students tested positive are made to isolate themselves in the same hostel rooms, which has just enough space for 2 beds and a washroom," the student said.

He further revealed that the University's health centre was facing a shortage of medicines to treat even mild symptoms of cold, cough and fever.

Given the piecemeal measures taken by the University, when a student approached Dr Lall Path Labs (the closest private COVID testing centre), he was refused service in light of an email sent by the University warning the Centre to not collect samples from students of RGNUL.

On receiving the positive reports of 44 students this morning from the tests conducted yesterday, the students made a representation to the administration highlighting the developments on campus. This was signed by 338 students of the University. Among other things, the representation stated,

"The University is obligated to declare the total count of COVID positive patients including those who have been tested positive from government-accredited private labs. Additionally, the particulars of COVID-19 positive patients, such as their names and isolation rooms, should be declared to enable contact tracing and isolation protocols as mandated by government guidelines. Therefore, we humbly request the University Administration to disclose accurate COVID-19 numbers."

Highlighting how ill-equipped the University was to contain a potential outbreak, the representation stated,

"In a residential campus like ours, the implication of COVID outbreak is far more overreaching, and the University officials must recognize the same. We share common spaces such as washrooms, mess, recreational areas and the like. In this regard, the lackadaisical attitude of the University officials, cleaning staff and mess workers exposes the inhabitants of the university to a greater risk of contracting COVID-19."

[Read detailed notice issued by administration here]