Thousands of students in Srinagar are set to miss classes for around a week as the administration prepares to hold a G20 meeting from May 22 to 24 for which heavy security deployment has been made, raising serious questions about the government's projection of normality through such an event.

The G20 meet in Srinagar is to be the first major international event in Jammu and Kashmir after the 2019 scrapping of special status. Security has been stepped up with the deployment of the Marcos, a special unit of the Indian Navy, and the National Security Guards, popularly called black cats.

More than a dozen schools in Srinagar's city centre and in nearby areas have declared holiday for two to nine days. These are mostly elite schools where thousands of students are enrolled. Although none of the schools has cited G20 as the reason, sources said security issues had necessitated the closure.

Sources said Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson in the heart of Srinagar city had declared the schools shut.

“It is clear that G20 is the reason. I do not think our twin schools will reopen before May 24, when the G20 meeting ends. Our examinations were already underway. Some papers have been postponed,” a teacher at Tyndale Biscoe said.

An office-bearer of the J&K Private Schools Association told The Telegraph that all private schools on Airport Road from Humhama in Budgam to the Srinagar city centre had been closed for a week from Thursday.

“We are following government directions. The schools that have been closed include Delhi Public School Budgam, Kashmir Valley Public School, Foundation School and Salsabeel,” the office-bearer said.

Coinciding with the closure, marine commandos and black cats were seen patrolling the Dal Lake and several roads in the city as part of area domination and security sanitisation. The commandos also checked the hotels at the city centre.

Politicians including former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti have accused police of detaining hundreds of Kashmiris ahead of the meeting.

Early this week, the police had said there was a need to enhance the “security measures at vulnerable locations to avoid any chance of terrorist attacks during the G20 meeting”.

Rumours are rife that the government might impose massive restrictions on the movement of civilians during the three-day G20 meet.

Kashmir police chief Vijay Kumar, however, said security teams had been briefed to ensure the general public does not face any inconvenience. He warned of action against those spreading rumours.