Following the Supreme Court’s recommendation to review restrictions on physical classes due to air pollution, the Centre's air quality panel, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), on Monday instructed schools and colleges in Delhi-NCR to adopt a "hybrid" mode for classes up to the 12th standard.
Delhi’s poor air quality, exacerbated by unfavorable winter weather conditions from November to January, often leads to prolonged restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). These measures, especially in the third and fourth stages, disrupt education and impact the quality of learning.
The CAQM, in a statement, pointed out that most primary schools in Delhi and other National Capital Region (NCR) areas lack sufficient resources for conducting fully online classes. It also noted that students of Classes 10 and 12 face significant challenges under GRAP stage-4 restrictions, as they are required to attend physical classes for practical lessons, tests, and extra tutorials critical for board and competitive examinations.
The panel has directed state governments in Delhi and NCR districts, including Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddh Nagar, to implement hybrid learning—combining physical and online modes—wherever feasible. It emphasized that "the option to exercise an online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians."
The directive further suggested that hybrid learning be considered for educational institutions in other parts of the NCR.
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court urged the CAQM to assess restarting physical classes, highlighting that students were being deprived of mid-day meals and lacked resources to attend virtual classes. However, the court refused to relax GRAP stage-4 anti-pollution restrictions, stating that easing the curbs would depend on a consistent reduction in AQI levels.
The restrictions on physical classes were imposed recently following severe air pollution.
In compliance with CAQM’s directive, the Directorate of Education (DoE) has instructed the heads of government, government-aided, private, and unaided schools under its jurisdiction—including NDMC, MCD, and Delhi Cantonment Board—to implement hybrid learning.
"All the heads of schools are hereby further directed to disseminate this information to the parents and guardians of the students immediately," the DoE said.
(This story has been slightly reworked from an auto-generated PTI feed.)
