Delhi schools closed today? Classes to go hybrid in severe AQI | What it means

AS new delhi reels below severely toxic send lineament, the regime has enforced Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in urgent efforts to curb the deteriorating air quality in the region.With the restrictions kicking in, Delhi schools have not been shut completely, but classes have moved to a hybrid format for several grades.According to a circular issued by the Delhi Directorate of Education (DDE), schools have been directed to conduct classes in a hybrid format – both physical and online options – for certain grades, wherever online teaching is feasible.The circular, dated December 13, states: “All Heads of Schools of Government, Government Aided, Unaided Recognized Private Schools of DOE, NDMC, MCD, and Delhi Cantonment Board are directed to conduct classes in schools for children up to Class IX and XI in a ‘Hybrid Mode’ i.e. Both in physical and online mode (wherever online mode is feasible) with immediate effect until further orders.”The order applies across government, aided and private schools under various civic and administrative bodies in Delhi.Are Delhi schools open today?All schools under the Delhi Directorate of Education, including government, government-aided and unaided private schools, remain open.Classes up to 9 and Class 11 is to be conducted in hybrid mode “wherever feasible” – meaning both physical and online options are open.The option to attend classes online rests with students and their parents or guardians. The hybrid schooling arrangement will remain in place until further orders, the DDE said.Schools run by NDMC, MCD and the Delhi Cantonment Board are also covered under the directive.The Directorate clarified that opting for online classes will be voluntary. “The option to exercise the online mode of education, wherever available, would rest with the students and their guardians,” the circular added.Heads of schools have been asked to immediately communicate the decision to parents and guardians.GRAP 4 invoked as air quality worsensThe decision follows the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) invoking Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect, after Delhi’s air quality index slipped into the ‘severe’ category.The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the capital stood at 462 at 6 am on Sunday, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board’s Sameer app.Under GRAP 4, all Stage 3 restrictions remain in force, along with additional curbs aimed at controlling pollution levels.The measures include a complete ban on the entry of truck traffic into Delhi, except for vehicles carrying essential commodities or providing essential services. Trucks running on LNG, CNG, electricity and BS-VI diesel are exempted from the ban.