Best Colleges 2020

The Indian education sector was not prepared for a pandemic, but the country’s top colleges have reacted fast

- Abhinav Singh

Covid-19 has hit the Indian education sector hard. As nobody was prepared for such an eventuality, institutions scrambled for the only exit door in sight—online education. India’s top colleges knew that the experience they provided in their classrooms could not be replicated online, yet. But they had to find ways to impart learning with available tools.

Apart from posting lectures and material online and sharing recordings through WhatsApp groups, the faculty at Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR), Delhi, taught individual students over the phone, to ensure that no one was left behind because of accessibility constraints. Suman Sharma, principal, LSR, said teachers were also taking online courses to hone their remote-teaching skills.

“Along with imparting curriculum education, we also (address) the adverse impact of this pandemic,” she said. “Safety measures are discussed actively and faculty members take special care to ensure that students remain positive. Some faculty members, who are trained psychologists, are counselling students to help them navigate these challenging times. This dialogue is immensely useful and fosters a sense of community even though there is no physical presence of students in college.”

Loyola College, Chennai, recently set up a help desk to address emergency needs of staff and students. It arranges medicines for the staff and their family, and food and counselling for the students who are stranded. The college works with state government officials to deliver these emergency services.