A school girl wearing a face mask to fight air pollution walks across a foot over bridge amidst smog in the capital city New Delhi. (Source: AP)Schools in Delhi will remain closed on November 16 on account of Chhath Puja, according to a circular issued by the Directorate of Education (DoE) on November 13. The holiday will be observed across all government, government-aided and recognised unaided private schools under the Directorate.The decision follows a notification issued by the General Administration Department on November 9, declaring November 16, Pratihar Shashthi or Surya Shashthi (Chhath Puja), a public holiday. The notification also applies to government offices, autonomous bodies and public sector undertakings under the Delhi government.The holiday comes amid continuing restrictions on physical school attendance across parts of the National Capital Region (NCR), where authorities have asked schools to operate in online or hybrid mode because of worsening air quality.Delhi-NCR schools: online, hybrid classes amid rising pollutionBefore Diwali, authorities in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar had issued directions asking schools to shift to online or hybrid classes as pollution levels increased across the region. The measures were introduced as part of the restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), implemented by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).Under the directions, schools were asked to conduct classes in hybrid mode, allowing students and parents to choose between attending physical classes and joining lessons online, wherever the arrangement was available. The instructions covered students across different school levels, with authorities emphasising reduced exposure to polluted outdoor air.The CAQM has been issuing and revising GRAP restrictions depending on the prevailing air quality and forecast for Delhi-NCR. The plan includes measures to restrict polluting activities and reduce exposure to deteriorating air quality. School-related directions are issued by the respective state and district administrations in accordance with the applicable GRAP stage.For parents and students, the November 16 closure is a separate holiday declaration for Chhath Puja and should not be confused with the ongoing pollution-related instructions on the mode of conducting classes.Story continues below this adSchools and parents should continue to check notifications issued by their respective education departments and district administrations for updates on physical attendance and online or hybrid teaching arrangements.