Unlock 2.0 guidelines likely to be announced by June 30; international flights may resume on selected routes
New Delhi (DNA): Even though the country is witnessing a rapid day-by-day increase of coronavirus cases, the central government is likely to ease more restrictions as it looks to issue guidelines for Unlock 2.0 around June 30.
Sources in the government said that it is likely to allow international air travel on certain selected routes. As per reports, international flights are set to resume by Mid July as several airlines have raised objection to Air India’s monopoly in Vande Bharat Mission. India may start flights to the US, UK, France, and Germany.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said that a decision to resume international passenger flights will be taken in July if coronavirus behaves in a “predictable manner” and the entire aviation ecosystem and state governments are onboard.
“I am often asked, when can you start international civil aviation? If you leave it to me, and if the ecosystem works, and if we have the predictability in terms of the behaviour of the virus, I think in the coming month we should start taking the decision. But those decisions will not be taken by the Indian civil aviation ministry,” Puri said.
Meanwhile, schools, colleges, and universities will continue to remain shut as state governments have expressed their reluctance to resume classes. MHRD Minister Ramesh Pokriyal had earlier said that schools may start classes from mid-August. Moreover, the recent decisions taken by CBSE, ICSE, ISC, and several other state boards to cancel class 10, class 12 exams go to show their unwillingness to resume classroom proceedings anytime soon.
Further, IIT Bombay has decided to scrap face-to-face lectures and has instead opted for online classes, starting from the next semester, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is likely to trigger a chain reaction across universities to follow suit with online lectures, keeping in mind the safety of the students.
The government sources also stated that metro train services is likely to remain closed as a large gathering of people in enclosed spaces may take a huge toll on the public health system as the COVID-19 cases are rising exponentially each day.
On June 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a virtual meeting with the chief ministers said that they should now start thinking of Unlock 2.0 as well as containing the spread of the virus.
Modi had also said in an address to the nation that the country should fight “rumours of lockdown” as it is in the phase of unlocking.
On May 31, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued guidelines for reopening the country in a phased manner.
