Kashmir, Maharashtra, West Bengal UP: School closures and holiday announcements across states

3 min readNew DelhiJul 2, 2026 12:41 PM IST

Due to extreme heatwaves, the authorities in the Kashmir valley have announced a two-week summer break for all recognized schools in the region. (image: ai generated)

The Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) has announced a two-week summer vacation for all government and recognised private schools up to the higher secondary level across the Kashmir Valley, from July 6 to July 19. Schools will reopen on July 20, when regular classes are expected to resume.

The decision comes amid a rise in temperatures across Kashmir over the past several days, with parents and students demanding an early summer break due to the prevailing weather conditions.

Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Sakina Itoo announced the decision on X, urging students, teachers, and school staff to stay safe during the break. She encouraged students to stay hydrated, take necessary precautions against the heat, and utilise the time for rest, reading, and meaningful family engagement.

Maharashtra

On the other hand, due to the monsoon conditions in Maharashtra, Palghar and Raigad administrations have announced a public holiday for all primary, secondary, and higher secondary schools today, on July 2. This move was made to ensure students’ safety under such weather conditions. However, the headmaster, teachers, and non-teaching staff are required to report to their respective schools or offices and remain available to carry out disaster management duties and comply with the directions issued by the local administration.

Due to these conditions, the University of Mumbai has cancelled all the examinations scheduled for July 2 for colleges located in the Palghar district and which fall within the jurisdiction of the Panvel Municipal Corporation.

As per the notice, “All examinations scheduled for July 2, 2026, for colleges located in Palghar district and within the jurisdiction of the Panvel Municipal Corporation have been cancelled. The revised dates for these examinations will be announced on the official website of the University of Mumbai.” Affected students are advised to keep an eye on the official website for updates related to the revised date for the examination.

West Bengal

West Bengal has also announced a public holiday on July 6 to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Syama Prasad Mukherjee.

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Noida changed school timings

For classes 1 to 8, schools should conduct the classes between the morning hours only as per the revised arrangement. All the educational institutions are instructed to follow the instructions and to continue following the revised timing till any new instructions are given by the district administration. According to the authorities, this step was taken as the temperature continues to stay high across the region, which increases the risk of heat-caused illness among the children.