Schools closed in Dehradun ahead of PM Modi's visit

Dehradun District Magistrate has declared a holiday in schools and anganwadis ahead of the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Dehradun to attend the opening ceremony of the 38th National Games on Tuesday, officials said.

"In view of disaster mitigation, under the powers conferred by the relevant provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, it is ordered that a one-day holiday be declared for all educational institutions in the district on 28.01.2025. The Chief Education Officer and District Program Officer of Dehradun are instructed to ensure that the above order is implemented in all educational institutions and Anganwadi centres accordingly," the official notice reads.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand today, followed by the inauguration of Utkarsh Odisha-Make in Odisha Conclave 2025 in Odisha's Bhubaneswar.


According to an official release, the Prime Minister will inaugurate programs in Odisha at around 11 am at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar. Thereafter, he will travel to Dehradun in Uttarakhand and at around 6 PM, he will inaugurate the 38th National Games.

The 38th National Games in Dehradun, which is being hosted in Uttarakhand during its Silver Jubilee year, will be held in 11 cities across eight districts of Uttarakhand from January 28 to February 14.

As per the release, 36 states and one union territory will participate in the National Games. Over 17 days, competitions for 35 sports disciplines will be held. Among these, medals will be awarded for 33 sports, while two will be exhibition sports. Yoga and Mallakhamb have been included in the National Games for the first time. More than 10,000 athletes from across the country will participate in the event.

With a focus on sustainability, the theme for the National Games this year is "Green Games." A special park, called the Sports Forest, will be developed near the venue, where more than 10,000 saplings will be planted by athletes and guests. The medals and certificates for the athletes will be made from environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials.