Short-haul international trips are all the rage
The Hindu
Maldives, Dubai, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan emerge as preferred choices
While most countries cherished by Indian tourists continue to shut their doors on them 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many are turning to alternatives closer home to indulge their cravings for foreign travel.
Dubai and the Maldives, which emerged as the two topmost foreign destinations for Indians since the pandemic, have further consolidated their position this travel season as more people are willing to venture out and travel demand is at an all-time high in 18 months.
Search enquiries for luxury holidays like the Maldives and Dubai have seen an incredible growth of more than 100% for the month of October this year as compared to the same time last year, according to data shared by travel portal ixigo.
Several principals of government and private schools in Delhi on Tuesday said the Directorate of Education (DoE) circular from a day earlier, directing schools to conduct classes in ‘hybrid’ mode, had caused confusion regarding day-to-day operations as they did not know how many students would return to school from Wednesday and how would teachers instruct in two modes — online and in person — at once. The DoE circular on Monday had also stated that the option to “exercise online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians”. Several schoolteachers also expressed confusion regarding the DoE order. A government schoolteacher said he was unsure of how to cope with the resumption of physical classes, given that the order directing government offices to ensure that 50% of the employees work from home is still in place. On Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had, on the orders of the Supreme Court, directed schools in Delhi-NCR to shift classes to the hybrid mode, following which the DoE had issued the circular. The court had urged the Centre’s pollution watchdog to consider restarting physical classes due to many students missing out on the mid-day meals and lacking the necessary means to attend classes online. The CAQM had, on November 20, asked schools in Delhi-NCR to shift to the online mode of teaching.