By – Prakarsh Kastwar
Classes will not be held before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. as physical classes resume in the national capital on January 15.
Delhi schools will reopen for physical classes on Monday, January 15, as the extended winter break ends, but as a precautionary measure due to the current foggy conditions, no school, including double shift schools, will begin before 9 a.m. and no school will have classes after 5 p.m., according to an order issued on Sunday. The order stated that all teaching and non-teaching staff must report to work as usual.
In light of the prevailing cold wave in the national capital, Delhi Education Minister Atishi stated on January 7 that winter break would be prolonged until January 12. “Schools in Delhi will remain closed for the next 5 days due to the prevailing cold weather conditions, for students from nursery to class 5,” she said.
As the temperature dropped in Delhi, worsening the morning fog, there was confusion over whether the winter break would be prolonged for a few more days.
On Sunday, Delhi experienced its coldest morning on record, with the minimum temperature falling to 3.5 degrees Celsius. It was 3.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday and 3.9 degrees Celsius on Friday.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the minimum temperature on Sunday was four degrees below the season’s average. The IMD has forecast dense fog and cold wave conditions in the national capital for more than two days. It was predicted that severe fog would blanket the city until January 20. The Palam Observatory near Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport recorded severe fog, with visibility dropping to 0 meters by 5 a.m. According to the IMD, this is the longest period of intense fog this season.