MHA issues guidelines for transit of students stranded due to COVID-19 Lockdown

The COVID-19 lockdown which was imposed in the country on March 24, 2020, has entered its last week under the second phase of the lockdown. The earlier announcement of the lockdown itself caused a huge amount of stress among the people, especially the students who stay far away from their homes and are stuck without any means to go back to their hometown.

Providing such students relief comes to the order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs to the states and Union Territories to facilitate the inter-state movement of stranded people including students. According to the order issued, all the states have been asked to designate nodal authorities and also develop standard protocols for receiving and sending the stranded people in the state.  

The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued special guidelines in order to allow the movement of people. The official notification is available on the website of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The direct link of the notification is also provided below.

MHA Official Order

According to the guidelines issued, all the people must be medically screened at the source and destination and should also be quarantined on their arrival. The guidelines also suggest that in case a group of people who are stranded wish to move from one state/ union territory to another the sending and receiving states must consult each other and mutually agree on their movement by road. The people moving will be screened and only those who are found asymptomatic will be allowed to proceed. 

The guidelines issued also suggest that the buses in which the people will be moved will be sanitized and follow all the safety precautions and rules of social distancing with respect to the seating arrangements. 

The states and union territories that fall under the transit route will also allow the safe transport of the people to the receiving states and union territories.

On the arrival of the people at the destination, they will be screened and tested by the local health authorities and kept under home quarantine unless they require institutional quarantine.

Also read: UGC Guidelines for Universities: College Students to be provided complete attendance for lockdown period