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Schools in the national capital and many other states, including Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh reopened for classes IX to XII, after a spurt in Covid-19 cases had led to their closure in December. Primary classes also resumed in some states.

Schools have been shut since 2020 when Covid-19 led to a global lockdown. According to the World Economic Forum, over 1.2 billion children were out of their classrooms globally due to the lockdown.

The unforeseen and difficult times gave rise to e-learning. Remote learning and digital platform took over physical learning. The adaptation to the virtual medium was swift. Although both the educators and students embraced the 'new normal', virtual learning utterly disrupted the education system that was already waning.

In fact, according to a UNICEF study, in India, only 36 per cent of all enrolled children received learning materials or activities from their teachers: a 37 per cent of children in higher grades (Grade 9 and above) received learning materials, compared to 31 per cent of children in lower grades (Grades 1–2). These percentages were consistently higher for children in private schools compared to government schools across all grades.

In fact, the alternative form of delivery exposed India's digital divide. The Remote Learning Reachability report (2020) by UNICEF stated that only 24 per cent of households have access to the internet across the country.