With day temperatures hovering at the 40 degrees Celsius mark, the Kangra district administration in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh has directed all schools to shut by 12.30 pm, officials said today.
Schools will now open at 7.30 am and end at 12.30 pm instead of the earlier 9 am to 3 pm, said an official.
Sandeep Kumar, deputy commissioner of Kangra in Dharamshala, has instructed deputy directors of elementary and higher education in the district to implement the new timings with immediate effect.
The step has been taken to save school going children in the picturesque Kangra valley from the intense heat wave, an official said.