NEW DELHI: CAQM has made amendments to its GRAP schedule after the Supreme Court on Monday criticised the authority and Delhi govt for their laxity and delayed enforcement of measures.
The amendments make suspension of physical classes in schools up to Class V and imposition of staggered timings for offices under GRAP-III mandatory. The amendments also make compulsory the suspension of on-campus studies up to Class XII under GRAP-IV.
The CAQM’s Clause 11 of the schedule under GRAP Stage-III said: “Implementation of this clause shall be mandatory for NCR and Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar. State govts may decide to implement the clause for other NCR districts.”
Clause 11 under GRAP-III gave the state govts in NCR and Delhi the option to decide on discontinuing physical classes in schools for children up to Class V and conducting classes online. However, the amendment now makes this step mandatory under GRAP-III, which is imposed when AQI is in the ‘severe’ category.
CAQM also added a clause in GRAP-III as clause-12, which states, “GNCTD and NCR state govts to stagger timings for public offices and municipal bodies in Delhi and Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar.”
Under Stage-IV, fresh amendments make Clause-5 mandatory. This means that under Stage-IV, implemented under a severe-plus AQI, the NCR state govts and Delhi must now discontinue physical classes even for Classes VI-IX and Class XI. All lessons must be online.
