Delhi Metro restrictions linked to a proposed protest at Jantar Mantar have prompted several schools and colleges to move classes online, postpone examinations and reschedule campus activities scheduled for October 10. The decisions follow a Delhi Police request to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation to close entry and exit gates at 57 stations from 9 pm on Friday until further notice.
Sardar Patel Vidyalaya told parents that classes for students from Classes 6 to 12 would be conducted online on Saturday because of extensive barricading in the New Delhi area and concerns over student safety. The school also discontinued its stay-back facility for students on Friday. Its Activity Week inauguration, planned for Saturday, has been postponed, with a new date to be announced.
Other schools have altered their schedules. Raghubir Singh Junior Modern School postponed its parent-teacher meeting, which was scheduled for Saturday to discuss student report cards. The revised date will be communicated to parents. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Mehta Vidyalaya on Kasturba Gandhi Marg cancelled sports day practice and enrichment classes for students in Classes 9 to 12, citing the proposed protest and the need to protect students.
The disruption has also affected higher education. Bharatiya Vidyapeeth’s College of Engineering in Paschim Vihar postponed its mid-term examinations scheduled for Saturday to Monday. In a notice, the college cited anticipated closure of entry and exit gates at several metro stations and possible service disruption. It said the decision followed directions from the dean of the University School of Information, Communication and Technology at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and the Joint Commissioner of Police, Transport Range, Delhi. Examination timings will remain unchanged on the revised date.
The Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology in Rohini has also postponed its Saturday mid-term examinations, moving them to October 12. The institute said the decision followed communication from the Delhi Police and was approved by the USICT dean and the BTech Programme Coordination Committee. Department heads have been asked to inform faculty members and students about the revised schedule.
The Delhi Police requested the DMRC to close entry and exit gates at 57 metro stations from Friday night, citing the proposed gathering at Jantar Mantar and the possibility of unruly movement towards sensitive locations. The reported measures have resulted in education institutions adjusting classes, examinations and student activities in advance of the expected restrictions. Further details on the affected stations and the duration of the restrictions were not provided in the supplied report.
