North India Cold Wave: Delhi govt retracts extended winter break order for schools

The Delhi government has revoked a recently issued order that extended the winter vacation period for schools across the national capital.

The Department of Education clarified that the earlier decision to prolong the winter break was a mistake. Consequently, the order has been promptly withdrawn, with an expectation for a resolution on the matter by tomorrow morning.

Delhi's Directorate of Education hinted at the possibility of issuing new directives regarding the winter break in the near future.


The revised order, dated January 6, 2024, stated, "Order No.DE.23(3)/Sch.Br./2024/18 regarding extension of Winter Vacation stands withdrawn with immediate effect. Further orders in this regard may be issued in due course."

The previous directive by the Delhi government had elongated the winter break until January 10 for all government-aided and unaided recognized private schools in the national capital territory (NCT), citing severe cold waves and an IMD 'yellow alert'.

During this time, several regions including parts of Delhi, East Rajasthan, northwest Rajasthan, Haryana, and isolated pockets of Punjab experienced cold to severe cold days, attributed to prolonged unavailability of sunlight. Maximum temperatures across North India's plains were recorded between 12-18 degrees Celsius, significantly deviating from the typical range for this season.

This decision reversal regarding the extended winter break aligns with the observations of unusually low temperatures across several regions, prompting a reevaluation by the Delhi government. Stay tuned for further updates on this developing situation.