'Wait for SC's nod to lift Grap curbs'

AFTER SC'S NUDGE, DELHI GOVT ON MONDAY EVENING ANNOUNCED THAT CLASSES 10 AND 12 WOULD SHIFT TO ONLINE LESSONS

- Abraham Thomas

Schools will remain shut in the entire National Capital Region, and Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) Stage 4 restrictions will stay in place till further orders, the Supreme Court said on Monday, censuring the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for Delhi and adjoining areas for delaying the imposition of Grap 3 and 4 curbs.

Posting the matter for further consideration on Friday, the court went on to pass a slew of directions asking state governments to form teams for monitoring implementation and enforcement of curbs under Stage 4 which requires a ban on construction, and public and private offices to work at half strength. As the hearing was underway, schools in Delhi had stopped in-person lessons for Classes 1 to 9 and 11, and the court asked Delhi and NCR states to take a call on online classes for all students and inform it by Friday.

In the evening, the Delhi and Haryana governments decided to shut in-person lessons for all classes in the states.