A severe cold wave gripping vast regions of India has led to significant disruptions in the academic calendar. Multiple state governments and district administrations have been compelled to order school closures, extend winter vacations, and revise class timings to protect students from the harsh weather conditions.
State-Wise List of School Closures and Holiday Extensions
Jharkhand: In Ranchi, the district administration has ordered the closure of all schools, from KG to Class 12, until January 10. This directive applies uniformly to government, private, aided, and minority institutions operating within the district.
Bihar: The Katihar district administration has invoked Section 163 of the Indian Civil Defence Code 2023 to suspend all educational activities up to Class 8. The order, effective until January 10, 2026, includes government and private schools, pre-schools, and Anganwadi centres.
Uttar Pradesh: Several major cities in UP have announced closures. In Agra, all schools up to Class 12 are shut until January 12. Lucknow has declared holidays until January 10 for pre-primary to Class 8, while Classes 9-12 will function with revised timings from 10 am to 3 pm. Varanasi has extended the closure for schools up to Class 8 from January 7 to 9. Similarly, Ghaziabad and Noida (Gautam Buddh Nagar) have ordered all schools up to Class 8 to remain closed until January 10.
Punjab: Following the directive of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, all government, aided, and private schools in the state will remain closed until January 13. Normal academic activities are scheduled to resume from January 14, 2026.
Haryana & Delhi: Both regions have scheduled winter vacations from January 1 to January 15, 2026, with classes set to restart on January 16.
Adjustments in Other Regions: From Rajasthan to Kashmir
Rajasthan: In Jaipur, holidays are in place for schools up to Class 5 until January 10, and for Classes 6-8 until January 8. Jalore district has declared holidays for pre-primary to Class 5 students until January 10.
Madhya Pradesh: Bhopal has opted for adjusted timings instead of a full closure. The District Education Officer has instructed all schools to start sessions after 9:30 am for students from Nursery to Class 8.
Jammu and Kashmir: In the winter zone, the extended break continues. Schools up to Class 8 in the Kashmir Valley and Jammu region will reopen on March 1, 2026. Higher classes are slated to resume a week earlier, on February 22, 2026.
Telangana: The state has extended the Sankranti holidays for all schools until January 16, 2026. Consequently, schools will now reopen on January 17.
Assam: The Bongaigaon district administration has ordered a comprehensive closure of all government and private educational institutions from January 7 to January 10, 2026. This includes every level from Lower Primary to Senior Secondary.
Tripura: The state government has directed the closure of all government, aided, and private schools from January 6 to January 10 in response to the extreme cold.
Precautionary Measures and Official Rationale
The widespread decision to shut down educational institutions stems primarily from health and safety advisories issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). District orders consistently cite the "health and safety of the students" as the paramount concern. The actions range from complete suspension of classes for younger children to revised, warmer-hour timings for senior students, demonstrating a graded response to the weather emergency.
Parents and students are advised to stay updated through official district education department channels for any further changes to the academic schedule as authorities continue to monitor the cold wave conditions.
