Schools Closed: Ranchi, Bihar, UP & more cities where schools are shut due to cold wave

An intense cold wave sweeping across large parts of India has disrupted academic activities, leading state governments and district administrations to shut schools, revise class timings, and extend winter vacations in several regions. Below is the list of states where schools remain closed: The administration in Jharkhand’s Ranchi district on Thursday directed that all schools will be closed till January 10 in view of the cold wave warning issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), an official said. The order applies to all categories of schools operating in Ranchi.

“All classes from KG to Class 12 in all government, non-government, aided, non-aided (including minority), and all private schools operating under the Ranchi district will remain closed till January 10,” the order said. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the health and safety of the students, it added.

Invoking Section 163 of the Indian Civil Defence Code 2023, the Katihar district administration has ordered a complete suspension of educational activities up to Class 8 in all government and private schools, including pre-schools and Anganwadi centres, until January 10, 2026. The directive means schools will remain entirely closed for children up to Class 8.

The Agra district administration has directed that all schools up to Class 12, affiliated with the UP Board, CBSE, and other boards, remain closed until January 12 in view of prevailing weather conditions.

Similarly, Lucknow District Magistrate Vishakh G. has declared holidays until January 10, 2026, for all council primary and upper primary schools, aided institutions, schools affiliated with various boards, Kasturba Gandhi Residential Girls Schools, and government as well as non-government aided schools from pre-primary to Class 8. For Classes 9 to 12, academic sessions will continue with revised timings from 10 am to 3 pm.

In Varanasi, schools up to Class 8 will remain closed for three additional days, from January 7 to 9, due to persistent fog and cold conditions. District Basic Education Officer Anurag Shrivastava confirmed that, following instructions from the District Magistrate, all government, council, aided, private recognised, and CBSE/ICSE board schools from pre-primary to Class 8 have been directed to suspend classes.

In Ghaziabad, the district administration has ordered all schools up to Class 8 to remain closed until January 10 due to the ongoing severe cold wave.

In Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, authorities have announced the closure of all schools up to class 8 until January 10 due to dense fog and severe cold conditions. This directive applies to all recognised schools affiliated with CBSE, ICSE, IB, the Uttar Pradesh Board, and other boards operating in the district, as stated by District Basic Education Officer Rahul Panwar.

In line with the directives of the Chief Minister of Punjab, S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, and considering the persistent rise in cold and fog across the state, holidays have been declared in all government, aided, recognised, and private schools until January 13 to safeguard the health and safety of children and staff. Schools will resume normal operations from January 14, 2026

In Haryana, the Directorate of School Education has declared winter holidays for all government and private schools from January 1 to January 15, 2025, with classes resuming on January 16.

In Delhi, the Directorate of Education (DoE) has issued the academic calendar for 2025–26, confirming that winter vacations will run from January 1 to January 15, 2026.

In Jaipur, the district administration has announced holidays for schools up to Class 5 until January 10, while classes 6 to 8 will remain closed until January 8. In Jalore, all government and recognised private schools have declared holidays for students from pre-primary to Class 5 until January 10, 2026, in view of the prevailing severe cold wave.

In Bhopal, authorities have opted to adjust school timings rather than suspend classes, with the District Education Officer (DEO) directing that all schools begin sessions after 9:30 am for students from Nursery to Class 8.

In the winter zone of the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar, as well as the Jammu region, the government has announced the winter vacation schedule for schools amid plunging temperatures. Schools up to Class 8 will reopen on March 1, 2026, while higher classes will resume a week earlier on February 22, 2026, as temperatures across Kashmir continue to fall several degrees below freezing.

The Telangana School Education Department has extended Sankranti holidays for schools statewide until January 16, 2026, following an order issued on January 5. The move comes after the General Administration Department declared January 16 (Kanuma) an optional holiday. Consequently, schools that were scheduled to reopen on January 16 will now resume classes on January 17, 2026.

The Bongaigaon district administration has announced the closure of all schools (government, provincialised, and private educational institutions) from January 7 to January 10, 2026. This order extends to every tier of schooling—Lower Primary (LP), Upper Primary (UP), Middle English (ME), Middle Vernacular (MV), High, Higher Secondary, and Senior Secondary—underscoring the administration’s comprehensive precautionary approach.

The Tripura government has directed the closure of all government, aided, and private schools from January 6 to 10 in response to extreme cold conditions.