Students of a school in Puducherry were greeted with balloons and sweets as they returned to classrooms on Monday after over nine months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All schools in the Union Territory have been reopened from Monday while adhering to the government's announcement that classes will only be open from 10 am to 1 pm.

Only those students who have doubts in their subjects need to go to school after permission from the school authorities. Teachers, however, are to report to duty throughout.

The school administration has taken the necessary steps to ensure that COVID-19 rules are followed, and that school campuses are sprayed with disinfectants throughout. The school administration should also ensure that classrooms are disinfected and students are seated in the classroom with community spacing.

Classes for classes 1, 3, 5 and 7 will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and, Classes for 2, 4, 6 and 8 will be held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Students wore masks and underwent temperature checks before entering the school premises.

Other states that reopened schools today include Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha and Kerala, among others.