Although a large chunk of the city’s population is still speculating about the seriousness of the swine flu pandemic and the chances of contracting the disease, students of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) are not willing to take any risk, especially after the confirmation of the fourth H1N1 positive case in the campus.
Gripped by the fear of contracting the disease which has already infected four on the campus, many students of the institute have left for home. While some professors have taken a leave, others have limited their interactions with students.
Taking opportunity of a short break scheduled in the institute’s academic calendar, the PGP-2 and PGPX student have already gone home. However, even the PGP1 students, who are not entitled to any such breaks and are supposed to continue classes, are found missing. Around 20% of the PGP-1 students have remained absent from their classes. To help the students cope with their classes once they return, the institute has installed video cameras to record the lectures.
There are around 90 students in each of the four sections of PGP-1 batch, but many students have been missing from their classes lately. While some students have been quarantined and are asked not to attend classes, many others have gone home.
Talking about the swine flu hysteria that has affected the campus environment, an employee of the institution said, “Everyone is a bit hesitant to continue with the usual activities on the campus. Many students of the PGP-1 have chosen to remain absent from their class; in fact, even the professors hasten away after the lectures, and are silently avoiding the usual interaction with students after class.”
Spokesperson of the institute Ishita Solanki said, “Students could have been absent from their classes because they were advised to stay away if they had fever, cold or cough or showed any other symptoms of swine flu.”
