A growing number of colleges and universities close or cancel in-person classes while others keep running as usual. Why are institutions responding differently?

As the state and nation seemingly shut down around them, several private schools in Guwahati remain open despite government's instructions.

As the new coronavirus continues to cause chaos and anxiety in the state, many colleges and universities are responding by closing up shop. Some have canceled face-to-face instruction and moved online, while others have gone a step further and called for residence halls to be emptied.

Yet some educational institutions have chosen to maintain classes and other services, sometimes despite complaints of students. In many cases, those decisions are said to be based on individual location or the absence of confirmed cases within a college or school community.

The state government on Sundayissued an official order to shut all educational institutions, cinema halls,swimming pools, and gyms till March 29 as a precautionary measure to checkcommunity transmission of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).