On a bone-chilling winter morning today in Jammu, when fog hung low like a grey curtain and the cold pierced through layers of wool, most children across the city were still in bed—safe, warm, and protected. The Jammu and Kashmir government had extended winter vacations for all government and private schools, acknowledging the severity of the cold wave and poor visibility, but for many children, winter showed no mercy.
Outside Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs), small groups of students could be seen walking through the fog, their tiny hands buried inside pockets, faces half-covered with mufflers, eyes heavy with sleep. Some were escorted by worried parents, others waited silently at school van stops, shivering as icy winds swept past.
Wrapped in jackets and school uniforms, these children braved the same harsh weather that had forced authorities to keep other schools closed. Their footsteps echoed on frozen roads while classrooms elsewhere remained empty.
“My son is just seven. His hands were numb this morning,” said a parent, her voice trembling with concern. “If the cold is unsafe for other children, are KV students super humans?”
Because in this biting cold, the question remains—are KV students really super humans, or just children like any other, deserving the same warmth, care and protection?
Dense fog reduced visibility across Jammu, making early morning travel risky, especially for young students. Yet, while the administration recognised the danger and extended winter vacations for state and private schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas reopened as per schedule, leaving children to endure the cold without respite.
Many parents said their children complained of shivering throughout the journey, some fighting coughs and colds, others struggling to stay warm despite multiple layers. For them, the walk to school felt longer, colder, and lonelier.
“These are children, not soldiers,” said another parent outside a KV campus. “They feel the cold the same way. They fall sick the same way.”
In a season when winter has been deemed too harsh for most classrooms, the sight of Kendriya Vidyalaya students braving extreme cold has struck an emotional chord. The question continues to echo across Jammu: if the weather is dangerous for one child, how can it be safe for another?
Update: After this report was published, holidays have been extended in KVs.