Overview
- Punjab’s education minister announced schools and colleges will now reopen on January 19 after extending holidays to January 18, reversing earlier statements that classes would resume on January 12.
- The Punjab, Pakistan decision followed a public poll in which roughly 85–87% of respondents favored reopening on January 19, with the minister citing student health in the cold snap.
- Delhi schools remain shut through January 15, while Punjab (India) and Chandigarh extended breaks to January 13 as dense fog and low temperatures persist.
- District orders in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand include closures through January 10 for younger grades and later start times for senior classes, such as Lucknow’s 10:00 am–3:00 pm schedule for Classes 9–12.
- IMD cold-wave alerts and visibility concerns underpin the patchwork of closures and timing changes, with officials cautioning that reopening dates could shift if forecasts worsen and warning against fake notifications.