In light of 'Operation Sindoor', schools situated along the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Rajasthan have been shut down amid rising tensions. According to recent reports, authorities have decided to suspend educational activities in the five border districts of Jammu—Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch—citing the prevailing security situation. Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar confirmed the decision on social media, announcing that all schools, colleges, and educational institutions in these areas would remain closed.

Similarly, in Punjab, the administration has closed schools in Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, and Amritsar as tensions between India and Pakistan continue to escalate. An official order issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Ferozepur specified that schools in Pathankot would remain closed for 72 hours as a precaution.

Rajasthan has also taken similar measures, with all government and private schools being shut in the border districts of Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Barmer. Officials cited security concerns for the closures, noting that Rajasthan shares a roughly 1,070 km-long border with Pakistan, putting these western districts on high alert.

The closures come in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, a strategic military action launched by the Indian armed forces on the night of May 6 and 7. During the operation, missile strikes were carried out on nine terror infrastructure sites located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The offensive was conducted in retaliation for the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists. The missile strikes received strong support from across the Indian political spectrum. Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Jairam Ramesh, and Asaduddin Owaisi publicly praised the armed forces and backed the Centre’s response to the escalating cross-border threat.

The Pahalgam attack, which took place in the Baisaran Valley, drew widespread condemnation from international leaders, many of whom expressed solidarity with India in its fight against terrorism. Since the attack, relations between India and Pakistan have further deteriorated. Key bilateral agreements, including the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 and the Simla Agreement, have been suspended. In addition, India has blocked access to the Instagram accounts of several Pakistani celebrities and taken down over 15 Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly spreading misinformation.