The governments of Delhi and Haryana on Monday suspended physical classes for standards 10 and 12 in the national capital and neighboring Gurugram, hours after the Supreme Court directed all states in the National Capital Region (NCR) to immediately heed a call to to switch to online classes in view of the deteriorating air quality in the city.
The Supreme Court's ruling came while hearing a batch of pleas related to the deteriorating air quality, when a petitioner questioned the Delhi government's decision to halt physical classes for all students barring the standards 10 and 12. The Haryana government, on the other hand, had declared holidays for students up to class 5 of both government and private schools.
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Similarly, Delhi University announced that “in the larger interest of the students… it has been decided that classes will be conducted in online mode till Saturday…”
In Gurugram, the Deputy Commissioner's office said, “… all classes up to 12th standard will remain discontinued from 19.11.2024 to Saturday 23.11.2024 or further orders, whichever is earlier, in all areas (both urban as rural) of District Gurugram”. “Online classes will be conducted in place of physical classes, in all government and private schools in the district… Strict compliance of the orders is positively assured,” the report said.
On Sunday evening, the government in Delhi, which is grappling with severe air pollution, announced the suspension of physical classes from Monday for all students, except classes 10 and 12, in view of the board exams next year. With air quality deteriorating, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced the implementation of restrictions under Phase 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
However, a petitioner seeking directions to curb air pollution in the capital and adjoining areas on Monday questioned the Delhi government's decision in the top court, arguing that the lungs of students of class 10 and 12 “are not may differ” from those of the others.
“The lungs of 10th and 12th students cannot be different from other students… if a direction can be given to stop those physical classes as well,” senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan told a bench of Justice AS Oka and Justice AG Masih .
The bench then directed all states in the NCR region to immediately take a call to halt physical classes up to standard 12 in view of deteriorating air quality.
The Supreme Court has also pulled up the Delhi authorities over a delay in implementing strict restrictions under GRAP to tackle the bad air days.
The court told the CAQM in NCR and the Delhi government that the restrictions under phase 4 of GRAP – implemented after the Air Quality Index (AQI) crosses the 400 mark – should not be relaxed without its consent, even if the AQI is below 300 drops.
Under Phase 4 of GRAP, which comes into effect when the air quality index crosses 450, commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi will not be allowed to enter the capital unless they are electric vehicles, CNG or conform to BS-VI norms.
Both the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh governments have not yet made any announcement on the closure of schools.
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana after harvesting the rice crop in October and November is often blamed for the increase in air pollution in Delhi and adjoining areas.