Delhi govt announces early winter break in schools

The Schools in Delhi will be closed from 9 to 18 November for a winter holiday due to the smog-plagued city that has been blanketed for six consecutive days. The Directorate of Education of Delhi said in a statement on Wednesday that “no respite is expected in the near future”, adding that the decision to postpone the holiday, which is usually in December to January, was taken to protect children’s health. The holiday for November 9-18 will be compared to the traditional holiday for December to January. On the other hand, the Delhi government has suspended the implementation of its signature scheme, the odd-even, after the Supreme Court called the scheme “optics” and questioned its effectiveness. The AQI on Wednesday morning was recorded at 421.