Aizawl, Feb 21 (IANS): Schools across Mizoram will begin classes at 8 a.m. from the next academic session beginning April to avail daylight savings, an official said here Saturday.

The classes used to earlier begin at 11 a.m.

"Starting classes from 8 a.m. in schools up to higher secondary level was decided at a cabinet meeting earlier this week. The meeting was chaired by the Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla," a school education department official said.

The Mizo Students Federation (MSF) greeted the government decision while Mizo Students Union opposed it arguing that it would be too early for young students and would disturb the daily activities of not only young students but also the entire society.

The MSF in a statement expressed satisfaction over the government decision saying that the people in general and students in particular in Mizoram would wake up early and help avail daylight savings to perform both educational, sports, social, official and non-officials works.

The day breaks early in the northeast region with the sun normally up at least an hour to 90 minutes ahead of other parts in India.

There was a long pending demand in the northeast region to create a separate time zone to avail the scope of daylight savings.

Mizoram has around 5,500 primary and higher secondary schools with about 306,000 students.