Amid prevailing cold wave conditions, authorities in several states and districts have announced the closure of schools to ensure student safety amid a dip in temperature. The directive applies across institutions, suspending academic activities until further notice from the education department. Also, this weather condition coincides with the winter break in several Indian schools. Here is a list of states where schools are closed till December 31.
Jharkhand
In view of the ongoing cold wave in Ranchi and nearby areas, all schools in the district will remain closed until December 31, 2025. The directive applies to students from kindergarten through class 12 across both government and private institutions.
Schools will remain shut for five days– between December 27 and December 31. According to an order issued by the district education office, “Under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Samhita, all government, non-government, and private schools within Ranchi district are instructed to suspend classes for KG to class 12 from December 27 to December 31, 2025.”
Ranchi District Education Officer Vinay Kumar noted that while most schools have declared winter vacations, a few institutions are still conducting classes. Across Jharkhand, including Ranchi, schools are observing winter breaks as temperatures continue to fall.
According to the state education department’s holiday calendar, government and aided schools are closed from December 26 to December 31, with classes set to resume in early January 2026.
Bihar
Intense cold waves and plummeting temperatures have disrupted daily life across Bihar, leading several district administrations to order the immediate closure of educational institutions. In the state capital, Patna District Magistrate Tyagarajan SM has announced that all government and private schools up to Class 8 will remain closed until December 30, 2025, while classes for Class 9 and above are restricted to a modified window between 10 am and 3:30 pm.
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Schools in Saharsa and Nalanda up to Class 10 will remain closed until December 30 (Saharsa) and December 31 (Nalanda). On the other hand, in Bhojpur, a closure has been mandated for all government and private schools, as well as Anganwadi centres for Classes till 8, effective from December 27 to December 31.
Una, Himachal Pradesh
Una District Disaster Management Authority Chairman and Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal has issued an order revising school timings in the district. As per the directive, all government and private educational institutions—from pre-primary to senior secondary—will function between 10 am and 3:30 pm, while Anganwadi centres will operate from 10 am to 3:00 pm during the period from December 29 to January 31.
The order further states that any academic loss resulting from the revised schedule will be compensated by adjusting the morning assembly and midday break periods.
Punjab
In Punjab, winter vacation has started from December 22 and continues into early January (up to around January 10, 2026).
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Jammu and Kashmir
In Jammu and Kashmir, extreme cold has led to extended closures: Classes 1–8 were slated to be off from December 1, 2025 to February 28, 2026, while Classes 9–12 were scheduled to remain closed from around December 11, 2025 until February 22, 2026, reflecting the prolonged winter conditions in the region.
Kerala
A winter break will be observed from January 1, 2026, to January 15, 2026, with schools reopening on Friday, January 16, as outlined in the official school calendar.
