All district basic education officers—known as Basic Shiksha Adhikaris (BSAs)—in Uttar Pradesh have been instructed not to change school timings independently. Changes to timings are permissible only under “unavoidable circumstances” and must be reported to the basic education department.
Director of basic education, Pratap Singh Baghel, issued this directive following instances where district BSAs altered school timings without prior notification from the district magistrate or the department. Such actions are deemed inappropriate, as emphasised in Baghel’s communication to all BSAs.
Under the directive, schools under the purview of Uttar Pradesh basic education will operate from 8 am to 2 pm between April 1, 2024, and September 30, 2024, and from 9 am to 3 pm from October 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
This decision comes in response to cases where BSA of Ghazipur and a few other districts adjusted school timings due to rising temperatures without prior consultation with the district magistrate or the basic education department.