India-Pakistan Tensions LIVE: Ceasefire announced; when will schools, colleges re-open?

India-Pakistan Conflict: Union external affairs minster S Jaishankar said that India and Pakistan today, have worked out an understandingon stoppage of firing and military action, as reported by PTI.

Delhi has been placed on high alert, with cancellation of leaves for all government employees. HPTU has postponed HPCET 2025 while COMEDK UGET 2025 has been deferred in 12 cities. Schools are shut in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Chandigarh.

Panjab University has cancelled all exams scheduled on May 9 and 10. The Jammu and Kashmir State Eligibility Test (JKSET) and Ladakh SET exams have also been deferred till further orders.

With schools, colleges, and universities shutting down in border states, the situation of students is grim. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has postponed the Chartered Accountants Final (CA Final) and Intermediate (CA Intermediate) exams scheduled to be held from May 9 to May 14.

Earlier, the ICAI cancelled the CA exams 2025 in 12 cities - Chandigarh, Bhuj, Jammu, Srinagar Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Pathankot, Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Sri Ganga Nagar.

Schools, colleges shut

Several state governments have started implementing stringent measures amid the escalating tensions. All schools in six border districts of Punjab – Ferozepur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Amritsar, and Gurdaspur have been closed.

A blackout has been instituted in western Rajasthan from 9 pm to 4 am, and schools in five bordering districts have been ordered to be shut. The Rajasthan government has instructed all government and private schools in these five districts - Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Barmer - to remain closed as precautionary measures.

A high alert was sounded in Delhi on Thursday evening, and all city government employees' leaves were cancelled as hostilities ramped up between India and Pakistan, with several border areas, including Jammu, coming under cross-border shelling.

The Pakistani military last night tried to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj. The attempts were foiled, and a Pakistani air defence system was destroyed in Lahore. "All DCPs are actively monitoring law and order in their areas. They have already briefed their officers like ACPs and SHOs. DCPs are personally monitoring their area and Delhi Police is ready to deal with any kind of situation," as per the PTI report.