The Delhi and Haryana governments on Monday suspended physical classes for standards 10 and 12 in the national capital and neighbouring Gurugram, hours after the Supreme Court directed all states in the National Capital Region (NCR) to shift to the online mode in view of the deteriorating air quality in the city.
The top court’s direction came while hearing a batch of pleas relating to the worsening air quality, as a petitioner questioned the Delhi government’s decision to discontinue physical classes for all students, barring standards 10 and 12, from Monday. The Haryana government, on the other hand, had declared holidays for students up to class 5 in both government and private schools.
In a post on X, Chief Minister Atishi said: “From tomorrow physical classes shall be suspended for Class 10 and 12 as well, and all studies will be shifted online.”
Likewise, the office of the Gurugram deputy commissioner said that “in the interest of the health and safety of the children, it has been decided that all classes upto 12th standard will remain discontinued from 19.11.2024 till Saturday, 23.11.2024 or further orders, whichever is earlier, in all areas (urban as well as rural) of District Gurugram”. “Online classes will be conducted in lieu of physical classes, in all Government & Private Schools in the district… Strict compliance of the orders is be ensured positively,” it said.
The air quality in the national capital plunged to the “severe-plus” category on Monday morning, prompting the top court to pull up authorities over a delay in implementing tough restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to tackle the bad air days.
NDTV News-India-news