As the coldwave conditions in North India worsen, the Punjab government, headed by Bhagwant Mann, has decided to postpone all courses in all institutions up to class 5 until January 20. The hours of instruction for standards 6 through 12 are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains made the statement on X, stating that normal lessons will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for children in grades 6 through 12. The state government issued an order on January 7 that all government-run, government-aided, and private schools up to Class 10 would be closed until January 14.
However, for Classes 11 and 12, the schools remained open.
A Cold Wave Deepens in Haryana and Punjab
With the lowest temperatures in both Punjab and Haryana falling below average levels on Sunday, the cold wave conditions in the two states intensified. According to this meteorological department’s data, Ballowal Saunkhri in Punjab’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district recorded 0 degrees Celsius.
A dense layer of fog shrouded several locations in Punjab and Haryana, with the lowest temperatures reported at two to four degrees below average at some of these locations.
The two states’ shared capital, Chandigarh, also experienced extreme cold, with a low temperature of 3.2 degrees Celsius—3.7 degrees below average. In Punjab, the lowest recorded temperatures were 4.1 degrees Celsius in Amritsar, 3.4 degrees Celsius in Patiala, and 2.5 degrees Celsius in Ludhiana.
The minimum temperatures that were recorded at Pathankot, Bathinda, Faridkot, and Gurdaspur were 6.2, 4.2, 4, and 4.5 degrees Celsius, respectively.
