Schools in violence-hit northeast Delhi to remain closed till March 7

The Delhi government has postponed annual school examinations upto March 7 in violence-hit northeast Delhi. All schools in the riot-affected areas of the capital will remain closed till March 7, the Directorate of Education Examination cell announced on Saturday.

Delhi government schools which had been closed in view of the violence that rocked northeast Delhi and parts of east Delhi opened briefly on Saturday for principals and staff to assess the situation, according to DoE officials.

The schools had earlier been shut till February 29.

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“The situation is not conducive for carrying out examinations in the area. The state of mind of students may also be tense and traumatized leading to lack of concentration towards preparation for ongoing examinations,” the official statement read.

“The new date of annual examinations for schools of northeast Delhi will be announced soon. The principals and staff of these schools will attend the institutions as usual. The annual examinations in schools of other districts will be conducted according to the schedule announced earlier,” the statement said.

In violence-hit northeast Delhi localities, schools have been closed for five consecutive days, since the clashes broke out. The Central Board of Secondary Examination (CBSE) had postponed board exams in the area till February 29.

The communal violence in northeast Delhi was triggered by protests over the amended citizenship law and has so far claimed 42 lives and left over 200 people injured.

Violent mobs torched houses, shops, vehicles, schools and a petrol pump and pelted stones at local people and police personnel. Jaffrabad, Maujpur, Babarpur, Yamuna Vihar, Bhajanpura, Chand Bagh and Shiv Vihar were among the areas severely affected by the riots.