All Delhi School Classes Go Online After Top Court Rap Over Air Pollution

The Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh governments on Monday suspended physical classes for standards 10 and 12 in the national capital and neighbouring Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad, hours after the Supreme Court directed all states in the National Capital Region (NCR) to take an immediate call to shift to online lessons in view of the deteriorating air quality in the area.

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 had declared holidays for students up to class 5 in both government and private schools, while the Uttar Pradesh administration had not announced any such measure.

In a post on X, Delhi 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 University of Delhi announced that "in the larger interest of students... it has been decided that the classes shall be conducted in Online Mode till Saturday..."

In Haryana's Gurugram, the office of the deputy commissioner said "...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.

Later, the Ghaziabad district magistrate in Uttar Pradesh also announced a similar measure, saying classes up to standard 12 will be held online till further notice. In Noida, physical classes were suspended till November 23.

On Sunday evening, the government in Delhi, which has been grappling with severe air pollution, announced discontinuation of physical classes from Monday for all students, barring classes 10 and 12, in view of the board exams next year. With the air quality worsening, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) announced the implementation of restrictions under Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

However, a petitioner seeking directions to curb air pollution in the Capital and adjoining areas questioned the Delhi government's decision in the top court on Monday, arguing that the lungs of students of Classes 10 and 12 "cannot be different" from the others.

"The lungs of 10th and 12th students cannot be different from the 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.

Subsequently, the bench ordered all states in the NCR region to take an immediate call to stop physical classes up to standard 12 in view of the deteriorating air quality.

The top court also pulled up Delhi authorities over a delay in implementing tough restrictions under GRAP to tackle the bad air days.

The court told the CAQM in NCR and the Delhi government that restrictions under Stage 4 of GRAP - implemented after the Air Quality Index (AQI) crosses the 400 mark - must not be relaxed without its permission even if the AQI drops below 300.

Under Stage 4 of GRAP, which kicks in when the Air Quality Index crosses the 450 mark, commercial vehicles registered outside Delhi are banned from entering the Capital unless they are EVs, CNG or conform to BS-VI norms.

The Punjab government is yet to make any announcement on school closures.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana after harvesting the paddy crop in October and November is often blamed for the rise in air pollution in Delhi and neighbouring areas.