Admission Criteria 2026-27

Age Criteria for Delhi Nursery Admissions 2026-27 (New)

The new age criteria, announced recently by the DoE, state that a child must be a minimum of 3 years old by March 31st of the year in which admission is sought. While the age criteria make considerable changes to the foundational framework (breaking KG to LKG and UKG and implementing a 6+ years age criterion for admission to Class 1), the DoE has made it clear that the transition will happen gradually, with the new structure starting in 2026-27, and that existing students will not be affected.

Here is a closer look at the age criteria announced by DoE for the academic year 2026-27:

Note: Age relaxation of up to 30 days can be availed on the minimum and maximum age limits upon discussion with the Head of School.
 

How the New Age Criteria will Roll Out in Delhi Schools

The new age criteria will be implemented in phases starting 2026–27; existing students (Nursery to Class 1 in 2025–26) will not be affected. Here is a closer look at how the new age criteria announced by DoE will be implemented over the years:

Please Note: Age relaxation of up to 30 days can be availed on the minimum and maximum age limits upon discussion with the Head of Schools.

What Happens to Children Already in School?

The Directorate of Education has confirmed that no existing student will be affected by the restructuring. Children already enrolled in Nursery, KG, or Class 1 during the 2025–26 session will continue moving up each year, even if their ages fall outside the new limits. The new age framework applies only to fresh admissions beginning 2026–27.

• Starting Nursery in 2026-27: If your child will start Nursery in 2026-27, they’ll be the first batch under the new Balvatika structure. Here’s how their journey will look:
  • 2026-27 → Nursery (Balvatika 1) at 3+ years
  • 2027-28 → Lower KG (Balvatika 2) at 4+ years
  • 2028-29 → Upper KG (Balvatika 3) at 5+ years
  • 2029-30 → Class 1 at 6+ years

So, children starting Nursery in 2026-27 will be the first to enter Class 1 under the new 6+ age rule in 2029-30.

• Starting KG in 2026-27: If your child will start KG in 2026-27 (at 4+ years), they’ll continue in the existing setup. They’ll go to Class 1 in 2027-28 at around 5+ years — the same as before. The 6+ rule will not apply to them since they joined school before the full change takes effect.
   
• Starting Lower KG (Balvatika 2) in 2027-28: Lower KG will be introduced from 2027-28. Children joining at this stage will experience the second year of the new structure.
  • 2027-28 → Lower KG (Balvatika 2) at 4+ years
  • 2028-29 → Upper KG (Balvatika 3) at 5+ years
  • 2029-30 → Class 1 at 6+ years

So, these children will also reach Class 1 at 6+ years in 2029-30, same as the 2026-27 Nursery batch — they’ll simply enter one level higher.

• Starting Upper KG (Balvatika 3) in 2027-28: Upper KG will also be introduced in 2027-28 for 5+ year olds. This is for children who have already completed pre-primary elsewhere and are ready to join the top foundational level.
  • 2027-28 → Upper KG (Balvatika 3) at 5+ years
  • 2028-29 → Class 1 at 6+ years

These children will be among the first to enter Class 1 under the new 6+ rule in 2028-29.

• Starting Class 1 in 2026-27 or 2027-28: In 2026-27, Class 1 admissions will still be open for 5+ year-olds (born between 1 Apr 2020 – 31 Mar 2021). In 2027-28, however, schools are expected to have only promoted students from KG, with no direct admissions to Class 1.
   
• Starting Class 1 in 2028-29: From 2028-29, new admissions to Class 1 will require children to be 6+ years old as of 31 March 2028.

In simple terms, the DoE has ensured a smooth transition; no child will be held back or forced to repeat a class because of the new structure. The changes only affect new admissions, not those already enrolled.

When will Delhi Nursery Admission Forms be Live?

The Delhi Nursery admission forms are to be released by December 4, 2025. Let us take a look at the official admission schedule announced by the DoE:

Apply Now for 2026-2027 Session