Tamil Nadu Govt Announces Holiday for Schools, Colleges, Govt Offices on Nov 13 – News18

Tamil Nadu has announced that all government offices, schools, colleges, and educational institutions will remain closed on November 13 on the occasion of Diwali. Thousands of government staff and students visit their native place every week on Friday while returning on Sunday. The holiday ensures a smooth return for people returning from their native places after celebrating Diwali with their loved ones. The Tamil Nadu government has also announced that November 18 will be a working day to compensate for the announced holiday.

The government has announced the day as a public holiday through an official statement released on microblogging site X. The post has been shared by the Tamil Nadu Department of Information and Public Relations and it read, “Holiday on 13.11.2023 for all Government Offices, Schools, Colleges and Educational Institutions across Tamil Nadu on the occasion of Diwali – Tamil Nadu Government Notification.” It is the day right after the Diwali festival. The decision has been made considering the welfare of government staff, parents, students, and teachers.

Meanwhile, in Delhi, the government has announced that schools of all classes excluding the 10th and the 12 standard will remain closed till November 10 because of a massive spike in air pollution. Online classes should be conducted for primary and six to nine, whereas for 10th and 12th standards, the head of schools can decide if their classes are to be conducted either virtually or physically.

Earlier, classes six to 12 were “given the option” of going online while primary classes had been strictly ordered to remain closed till November 10. Apart from that, the government has also advised that it is best if work from home could be allocated for at least 50 per cent of employees of both government and private offices.

Schools in Gurugram have been advised to close operations from November 7, as the Air Quality Index reaches a severe level in the district. The administration has given the schools an option to organise virtual classes for the students in pre-primary and primary. No update has been made as to when the schools can resume operations. They are expected to comply with the announced regulations till further instructions have been provided.