New Delhi, Dec 3: Hours after the Supreme Court (SC) slammed Delhi government for reopening educational institutions amid high air pollution, state environment minister Gopal Rai announced that all the schools and colleges will be closed from today until further order.

He said that the order won’t apply to the institutes where exams are being conducted.

Earlier, the educational institutions were reopened on November 29, the day air quality improved from “severe” to “very poor”.

Later on December 2, the apex court sought to know the measures taken by the government at the ground level to curb the air pollution in the city after the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) fell to “severe” category again with 429 points, worst among all Indian cities.

Following this, the order to shut down the educational institutions is issued by the government.

The minister said that the Delhi government is constantly monitoring the pollution situation in the city.