Hours after the Supreme Court urged the air quality panel to consider reopening schools in Delhi-NCR citing unavailability of air purifiers and lack of mid-day meals, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Monday night ordered that all classes upto standard 12 be conducted in hybrid mode.
“State Govts in the NCR shall ensure that all classes upto 12th Standard are conducted in a “Hybrid” mode i.e., both in “physical” and also in an “online”, wherever online mode is feasible in the territorial jurisdiction of the NCT of Delhi and in the districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar in the NCR,” said the CAQM order.
The air quality panel said that the option to exercise an online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians.
It further stated that the NCR state governments may also consider conducting classes in a hybrid mode as above in all other areas in NCR.
CAQM said that they have taken note of the factor that students of classes X and XII and the associated school authorities are most impacted by the GRAP Stage – IV restrictions, considering the Board examinations facing them and the various competitive exams which follow.
“These students are required to attend classes in a physical mode, considering the practical classes as also the practical examinations. Besides, the students are also required to attend extra classes / tutorials for the Board examinations.”
Meanwhile, the Directorate of Education, Government of Delhi issued directions to heads of all government, government-aided, unaided recognised private schools of Directorate of Education, NDMC, MCD and Delhi Cantonment Board regarding conducting classes in hybrid mode for students of all classes with immediate effect till further orders.
The restrictions on physical classes of schools and colleges were imposed recently due to severe air pollution.
Earlier in the day, a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih also ordered the CAQM to initiate action against the officials of Delhi government and Delhi police for a “serious lapse” on their part in the strict implementation of GRAP-IV measures.