The Delhi government has issued a circular mandating that a student must complete six years of age to be eligible for admission into Grade 1.

The Directorate of Education, Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, announced that this rule will now be implemented across all schools, in line with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (2020) and the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009).

A circular regarding this mandate has been sent to the heads of all government, aided, and private schools, instructing them to adhere to the new age criteria. It also states that students must complete three years of pre-primary education before enrolment into Grade 1.

“The child may be enrolled into Class 1 only upon completion of six years of age from the academic year 2026–27 onwards,” the directive reads.

It may be recalled that Karnataka was among the first states to implement the six-year mandate. However, the state provided a three-year buffer period for parents to plan admissions to pre-primary, ensuring that the child reaches the age of six when entering Grade 1.

Despite this provision, some parents who enrolled their children early in preschool were later asked to either repeat the academic year or take a break to meet the eligibility criteria.

The Delhi government’s revised age structure is as follows:

• Nursery – 3+ years

• Lower KG – 4+ years

• Upper KG – 5+ years

• Grade 1 – 6+ years

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