Delhi moves classes up to Class 5 to hybrid mode as Sirsa warns of worse air from Saturday

Delhi’s schools will run classes up to Class 5 in hybrid mode, with lessons held both in person and online, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Friday, November 6, 2026, after the Commission for Air Quality Management brought back Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan across the capital region.

Under the Stage III schedule, the switch is mandatory in Delhi and in Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar, with online teaching to be used wherever it is feasible. The step is meant to shield the youngest children, who are most at risk from the toxic air.

Sirsa also warned that the worst may be yet to come. Wind speeds are expected to fall further from Saturday, he said, which would trap pollutants close to the ground just as the Diwali weekend begins. He said following the GRAP rules was the collective responsibility of every citizen.

The Central Pollution Control Board’s 4 pm bulletin put Delhi’s 24-hour average air quality index at 382, in the very poor band, based on readings from 57 stations, with fine PM2.5 particles the main pollutant. The index was 324 on November 2, when Stage II was invoked.

Beyond schools, Stage III halts most construction and demolition, shuts stone crushers and mining across the NCR, and keeps BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel cars off the roads in Delhi and the four neighbouring districts, with exemptions for essential services. The Delhi and NCR governments must decide whether offices should run at half strength, with the rest of the staff working from home.

If the index crosses 450, the commission can move to Stage IV, which brings a ban on truck entry and tougher curbs on vehicles.