Jharkhand government suspends classes up to Grade 8 due to sweltering heat

Amid heat wave-like conditions prevailing across Jharkhand, classes up to grade 8 in all government and private schools in the state will be suspended starting from Tuesday, according to an official notification.
As per the officials, classes up to grade 8 will remain suspended until further notice.
An order by the secretary of the school education and literacy department, Uma Shankar Singh, said, “Classes from kindergarten to grade 8 are suspended in all categories of schools, including government, private, aided, and unaided, until further notice”.
This decision aims to protect students from the adverse effects of extreme weather conditions.
“This order will be effective from April 30. However, it does not apply to teachers and non-teaching staff of government, non-government aided, and unaided schools,” the notification reads.
A separate order will be issued regarding summer vacation for teachers and non-teaching staff, who are required to attend school daily during scheduled hours, it added.
While classes 9 to 12 will continue, they will operate from 7 am to 11.30 am, excluding prayer meetings, sports, and other activities.
The Met department has issued a heatwave alert for 13 districts in Jharkhand for April 30 and May 1