GRAP IV enforced in Delhi NCR: Will schools switch to online classes?
As Delhi's air quality slips into the severe category, authorities have enforced GRAP Stage IV restrictions, raising uncertainty over whether schools will remain open or shift to online classes across the capital and NCR amid worsening pollution levels.
New Delhi: As Delhi’s air quality plunged deeper into the severe+ zone on Saturday, uncertainty loomed large over whether schools across the national capital and adjoining NCR cities would remain open, after the Commission for Air Quality Management tightened curbs by invoking GRAP Stage IV.
The pollution watchdog imposed the highest level of restrictions within hours of announcing GRAP Stage III measures, responding to a sharp deterioration in air quality. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed the Air Quality Index touching 431 at 4 PM on December 13, firmly placing the capital in the severe+ category and triggering emergency action.
All GRAP-IV measures invoked in Delhi NCR
In a statement, the CAQM said that the Sub-Committee on GRAP had decided to invoke all actions prescribed under Stage IV of the graded response plan. This escalation adds another layer of curbs over and above the restrictions already in force under GRAP Stage III.
The immediate question for parents and students is whether schools will shut their doors on Sunday and in the coming days. While no blanket closure has been announced so far, GRAP Stage IV opens the door for state governments in Delhi and NCR to discontinue physical classes even for higher standards and shift to online learning where feasible.
Instructions issued for government schools in Delhi
Under GRAP Stage III, governments were already advised to consider discontinuing physical classes or ‘hybrid mode’ for children up to Class V, with lessons conducted online. Stage IV goes a step further, giving states the discretion to extend such measures to students across all grades, including senior secondary classes.
In practical terms, GRAP IV mandates a hybrid mode of teaching for classes up to V in Delhi and key NCR cities, while advising similar arrangements for students up to Class XII. However, the final decision on whether schools remain open or move fully online rests with the respective state governments.
However, as of Saturday evening, no official notification had been issued by the Delhi government or NCR states on the status of schools. Parents and school authorities are awaiting clarity, with many institutions preparing contingency plans in case a sudden shift to online classes is announced.