This is with regard to the notice given to final year students of NIT Kurukshetra, to vacate their hostel rooms between 6th July to 31st July.
I want to point out certain reasons, because of which I feel that this compulsion put on students to vacate their rooms during a time when COVID-19 is spiralling out of control is extremely dangerous to the health of both the students and their family at home.

1. Safety: As we are all aware of the rising cases of COVID 19 throughout our country, I feel that students coming together from different hotspots and containment zones throughout the country will pose a great risk of spreading COVID both among the students and among their family members at home once they return. This situation can be avoided altogether by making it optional to vacate the rooms as there is no chance of new students admitting college in near future.

2. Travel: Students coming from far off regions will find it very hard to come, visit, complete all the formalities and leave on the same day. A lot of places don’t have trains and planes leaving on the same day and staying in hotels in Kurukshetra won’t be safe for the students and their family.

3. No urgency: As we are all aware, all the major exams like JEE mains and advanced have been postponed till further notice, so it obvious that no new students will be taking admissions in the near future and there will be no emergent need to provide hostel facilities to them. Hence, I feel there is no need to make it compulsory to vacate hostel rooms as there is no emergent need to do it.

Vacating the rooms should be made optional. Those who need their belongings can come and do so, but as it is not safe to do it, it should be left entirely to the choice of students.

The predicament of the students and their family members also needs to be considered with the acute risk that the 1000 students will pose on themselves and people in their surroundings.