Punjab: Schools in five border districts, Sangrur to remain shut on May 12

CHANDIGARH: Schools in five Punjab districts bordering Pakistan, as well as in Sangrur, will remain closed on Monday, officials said. However, academic institutions in the rest of the state will reopen, they said. The authorities in Pathankot, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts that lie on the border with Pakistan have ordered schools to remain shut.

Punjab shares a 553-kilometre border with Pakistan, spanning these five districts as well Fazilka. Education Minister Harjot Bains said if any university already revised its examination schedule, those exams would follow the revised schedule. Deputy commissioners of border districts have also been authorised to take a call on opening or closing schools, based on local circumstances.

Bains also directed the academic institutions to strictly adhere to the government's safety protocols and guidelines. Meanwhile, the authorities in Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Moga issued advisories, urging people to voluntarily switch off lights at home and avoid venturing outside unless necessary on Sunday evening.

Online classes in Amritsar

On Sunday, calm prevailed in Punjab, especially in its border areas, following an understanding between India and Pakistan to stop all military actions on land, air and sea. In Amritsar, schoolteachers can take classes online, according to a message shared by the district administration. Colleges and universities in the district will also remain closed. In Pathankot and Gurdaspur, colleges and universities will remain shut on Monday.

University and college teachers, however, can take online classes, according to an order issued by the Gurdaspur authorities. The authorities in Sangrur have also ordered all academic institutions to remain shut. Earlier, Bains had said all academic institutions -- schools, colleges and universities -- across Punjab would reopen on Monday. "Regular classes and examinations will proceed as per academic schedule. We are immensely proud of our brave armed forces," he had said in a post on X.

Closure of schools, colleges for 3 days

The state government on May 8 ordered the closure of academic institutions for three days as a military standoff between India and Pakistan soared. Meanwhile, the Ferozepur district administration on Sunday issued an advisory, asking people to voluntarily switch off lights at 8 pm. "Avoid moving outside unless necessary. Stay calm and stay alert to the messages from the district administration," the district authorities said in a message.

The Gurdaspur district administration said the situation was peaceful. Intimation will be made in case of any event of threat, it added. In Fazilka, markets were closed at 7:30 pm as a precautionary measure, an official said. The Mohali district administration said there would be no blackout on Sunday. However, as a means of abundant precaution, the administration said streetlights would be switched off and advised people to voluntarily stay indoors in the late evening.

Punjab reimposed blackout measures in several districts as a precautionary measure on Saturday after Pakistan violated the terms of the understanding between the two countries to stop military actions. The authorities had earlier withdrawn blackout measures and restrictive orders after the two countries reached an understanding to stop military actions following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.