Cold Wave Forces Jharkhand Government to Shut Schools Till Jan 8

Ranchi: Amid intensifying cold wave conditions and persistent dense fog, the Jharkhand government has ordered the closure of all schools across the state until January 8, an official notification said on Monday.

The directive, issued by the School Education and Literacy Department, mandates that all government, aided, unaided, minority and private schools remain closed from January 6 to January 8, 2026.

The closure will apply to students from pre-nursery to Class 12, and no academic classes will be held during the period.

The department clarified that teachers and non-teaching staff of government schools will continue to report for duty and undertake non-teaching responsibilities assigned by the authorities.

On pre-Board examinations scheduled during the closure period, the department said that the competent authority of the concerned schools may decide on their conduct after assessing the weather situation.

The move comes in the wake of an advisory issued by the Meteorological Centre in Ranchi, warning of cold wave and ‘cold day’ conditions in several districts of Jharkhand.

The IMD has predicted that minimum temperatures may fall to nearly 5 degrees Celsius in districts including Palamu, Garhwa, Chatra, Koderma, Latehar, Lohardaga, Gumla and Hazaribagh.

Additionally, dense fog is expected to prevail during morning hours in northern and western Jharkhand, with visibility likely to drop between 50 and 200 metres. Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Deoghar and Palamu may also see a further fall of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in minimum temperatures over the next two days.

Weather experts have warned that prolonged exposure to extreme cold could adversely impact children’s health, prompting the state government to take preventive measures. Parents have been urged to keep children indoors and follow necessary precautions during the cold spell.

With inputs from IANS