The Delhi government has ordered all classes for students up to Standard 5 to shift to online mode following the implementation of Graded Response Action Plan Stage 4 (GRAP 4) in the national capital due to rising air pollution.
In a notification issued on 15 December, the Directorate of Education (DoE) stated that physical classes for students from nursery to Class 5 in government, government-aided, and private recognised schools will remain suspended until further notice.
The circular read, “In view of the prevailing high AQI levels in Delhi, it has been decided that classes in physical mode for students of Nursery to Class V are discontinued till further orders. All Heads of Schools are hereby directed to ensure classes in online mode for the students of these classes.”
Hybrid mode for older students
For students in Class 6 and above, the DoE clarified that hybrid learning will continue as per previous instructions. Classes for students in Classes 6-9 and Class 11 will operate in a combination of physical and online modes, while board students in Class 10 and Class 12 will continue to attend schools physically. This follows earlier directions issued on December 13.
Offices and WFH arrangements
Alongside school directives, government and private offices have been asked to call only 50 per cent of their workforce to physical offices. The remaining employees are to continue working from home until air quality improves.
Delhi has been witnessing worsening air pollution, with AQI levels consistently in the “severe” or “very poor” category. The AQI in the national capital remained in “severe” category on Monday, while it improved slightly on Tuesday morning, placing it in the “very poor” category. According to the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) Sameer app, AQI stood at 381 as of 6.30 am on Tuesday morning.
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