Delhi schools shift nursery to Class 5 students to online classes amid severe pollution

December 15, 2025

New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality plunging into the ‘severe’ category, the Delhi government has made online classes mandatory for students from nursery to Class 5. The Directorate of Education announced that physical classes for these grades will remain suspended until further orders across all government, aided and private recognised schools. Earlier, parents had the option to choose between offline and online classes, but this choice has now been withdrawn.

AQI Remains in ‘Severe’ Zone
Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 427 on Monday, firmly in the ‘severe’ category, after touching 461 on Sunday — the second-highest AQI recorded in December. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), air quality was severe at 27 monitoring stations, while 12 stations recorded ‘very poor’ levels. Wazirpur reported the worst AQI at 475.

Other Classes to Continue as Per Guidelines
School authorities have been directed to ensure smooth conduct of online classes for younger students. Meanwhile, classes beyond Class 5 will continue in physical mode as per earlier instructions. As per CPCB standards, an AQI above 401 falls in the ‘severe’ category, posing serious health risks, especially to children.