Schools reopened in 2022 after a hiatus of 2 years owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. But it seems that it is not the right time for students to resume school as several states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal have announced early summer holidays due to scorching heat. Check full list below.
New Delhi: Amid the prevailing heatwave conditions, several states and Union Territories have announced the onset of summer vacations for schools and colleges. However, the summer break this year is expected to be shorter to compensate for the losses which students have suffered in the absence of physical classes. For the unversed, schools in several states resumed physical classes earlier this year after the country saw a significant decline in COVID-19 cases. However, it seems students have to wait a bit more to attend full-fledged classes as the country is battling extreme heatwave.
Take a look at the list of states which have announced summer vacations
West Bengal: Following CM Mamata Banerjee’s advice, the education department said that summer vacation will start on May 2 and will continue till June 15. According to the holiday list released earlier, the 12-day-long summer vacation was scheduled to begin from May 24.
Uttar Pradesh: In Uttar Pradesh, schools have announced 51-day summer vacations from May 21. The holidays will continue till June 30.
Maharashtra: Earlier this month, the Maharashtra government issued a circular announcing summer vacations for students of Classes 1 to 9 from May 2 to June 12. Except in Vidarbha, the next academic session will begin in the state from June 13. The educational institutes in Vidarbha will reopen on June 27, due to a scorching heatwave in the region.
Karnataka: Karnataka had announced summer vacations in the state from April 10 to May 15. Schools in Karnataka will commence the next academic year on May 16.
Odisha: Odisha government had declared summer vacation for all schools and other educational institutions in the state from June 6 to June 16. This year, summer holidays were shortened by 35 days, however, owing to the heatwave conditions, schools had suspended normal classes for 5 days from April 26 to 30.
Andhra Pradesh: All schools are to be shut in Andhra Pradesh for summer break from May 6 to July 4.
Puducherry: Students of classes 1 to 9 in the Union Territory will get summer vacations from April 30.
Chhattisgarh: Education department in Chhattisgarh had announced the summer holidays in schools from April 24 to June 14.
Sweltering Heatwave Sweeps India
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for Delhi-NCR and the plains of northwest India over continued heatwave conditions until May 1. “There has been no significant rainfall since February 25. In between, on April 14 and April 21, there were dust storms in Rajasthan and Haryana but there was no significant rain. Hence the long dry spell has resulted in high temperatures,” senior IMD scientist R.K. Jenamani told mediapersons.
A Western Disturbance on May 2 will bring in some relief for northwest and central India, he added. On being asked if this month’s maximum temperatures for the entire country were creating any record, Jenamani said: “April 2010 was the hottest till date for all India. In an advisory, the IMD said that under the influence of another fresh Western Disturbance likely to affect northwest India from May 2, light/moderate isolated/scattered rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm/lightning is likely over the Western Himalayan Region during May 2-4.
