Schools closed in Balotra too; leave of all govt staff cancelled amid rising border tensions

Hans India

09-05-2025

In light of escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the Rajasthan government has ordered the closure of all private and government schools in Balotra district starting from Friday, with holidays declared until further notice.
The closure, however, will not impact ongoing examinations for Classes 9 and 11, as well as the State Open School exams, which will continue as scheduled.
This directive comes under the framework of 'Operation Sindoor,' under which the government has instructed the closure of all educational institutions, including schools and colleges, across several border districts of the state.
In response, district administrations in Barmer, Jaisalmer, Sri Ganganagar, and Bikaner had already announced holidays for schools, Anganwadi centres, and madrasas until further notice.
The District Education Officer of Balotra confirmed that all school heads have been instructed to suspend classes for students, except where examinations are underway.
While students have been granted leave, staff members are required to be present at their institutions according to the regular schedule.
No employee is permitted to leave the headquarters during this period.
Additionally, leave of all officers and employees in Balotra district has been cancelled with immediate effect.
Even those who had previously been granted leave have now been asked to return to their respective workplaces without delay.
This strict move is aimed at ensuring round-the-clock monitoring, coordination, and smooth execution of disaster management and relief efforts across the district.
The state government has cancelled the leave of all officers and employees of government departments, including the police, doctors, and paramedical staff.
In response to the escalating situation, detailed guidelines have been issued for all border districts to ensure public safety and preparedness.
Jai Narain Vyas University (JNVU) in Jodhpur has postponed all examinations until further notice.
As part of precautionary measures, daily blackouts have been enforced in several districts.
In Barmer and Jaisalmer, the blackout is being observed from 9 pm to 4 am, while in Jodhpur it is being implemented from 9:30 pm to 4 am.
Notably, the blackout time was previously scheduled for 12:30 am but was moved up by three hours as a proactive safety step.
In addition to these measures, blackouts were also enforced in other parts of the state.
Pali experienced a blackout until 4 am on Friday.
Similar actions were taken by the police in Nal, Bikaner, and in Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station, where the administration declared a complete blackout.
To further ensure security, the Bikaner administration has imposed a ban on drone flights and fireworks. A similar ban on fireworks has also been enforced in Sri Ganganagar.