On December 17, 2025, the Supreme Court chose not to decide if primary school students in Delhi should attend school during the city's heavy air pollution. The court considered the Delhi government’s December 15 order closing classes from nursery to grade five. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing parents, argued, "When you shut down primary schools, you are shutting down the mid-day meal for these children in MCD and government. This is the most nutritious meal they probably get in the day." She added that for poor children, school is safer than home during pollution episodes because many live near busy roads and their parents, who are often labourers, must work. "How do these children contribute to pollution... Most of them walk to their school," Ms. Guruswamy said. She stressed that poor kids miss education, meals, and protection from pollution at home, where conditions can be worse than at school. She warned, "Every time you shut down schools, you are making sure the poor child does not eat… If rich parents want hybrid, they can have it in their fancy schools. Poor parents, who make the city run, their children are sitting at home." Chief Justice Surya Kant called this a "policy matter" beyond the court’s expertise and worried about children falling ill if sent to school. "If it is a poor child, what about the expense for medical care?" he asked. Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, acting as amicus curiae, noted the Delhi government's circular contradicted the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which allows a hybrid model of schooling. The Chief Justice countered that hybrid schooling could deepen social divides, as only those who can afford it benefit. The court opted to wait for the upcoming winter school vacation, hoping the air quality index (AQI) improves before schools reopen. "Let us pray the AQI comes down…" Chief Justice Kant said. The court also asked the Commission of Air Quality Management to address the issue.