Agartala, Jan 5 (IANS) All schools in Tripura will remain closed till January 10 in view of the prevailing cold wave conditions, officials said on Monday.
Chief Minister Manik Saha, who holds the Elementary and Secondary Education portfolios, said in a Facebook post: “It has been decided to close all schools (government, government-aided and privately managed) from January 6 to January 10, 2026, due to extreme cold weather conditions.”
The Chief Minister had earlier said that he would review the winter vacation schedule and take an appropriate decision after assessing the cold wave situation.
A senior Education Department official said the decision to close schools from kindergarten to Class XII was taken following a special bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which warned of cold wave conditions in several parts of the state over the next few days.
In a notification, Additional Secretary of the Education (Schools) Department Rajib Datta said that, in view of the prevailing extreme cold weather conditions across the state, all government, government-aided and privately managed schools under the department will remain closed from January 6 to January 10.
“All District Education Officers are hereby instructed to convey this decision to every school under their respective jurisdictions,” the notification said.
Tripura has 4,915 schools from the primary to higher secondary levels, with around 6.80 lakh students currently enrolled.
According to the IMD, maximum and minimum temperatures in the state vary between 22 degrees Celsius and 8 degrees Celsius, which are 3 to 4 degrees below normal.
“The prevailing cold wave conditions are likely to continue till January 10,” the IMD report said.
The Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) has earlier announced the closure of all educational institutions under its jurisdiction.
According to an official order issued by the TTAADC Education Department, all schools under the autonomous council will remain closed from January 3 to January 13 due to extreme cold weather conditions.
However, practical examinations for Class X and Class XII students will continue as scheduled. The decision has brought relief to parents, especially those with younger children, as prolonged exposure to cold mornings and strong winds has raised health concerns among students.
Guardians said it had become increasingly difficult to send children to school during the early hours amid the prevailing cold conditions.
--IANS
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