Bhubaneswar, Sept. 24 -- Schools in seven districts of Odisha have been closed by the respective district collectors in view of heavy rainfall. The holidays may be extended by another one or two days if the situation requires it, School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond said.

The repeated closure of schools due to heavy rain has raised concerns over the impact on the academic year and students' studies. The minister said that the government would assess the situation and arrange extra classes, if required, to make up for the lessons missed during the closures.

Eight Odisha districts - Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Puri and Nabarangpur - have announced school closures amid the bad weather.

South...