Srinagar, Apr 19: The School Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir has announced that the minimum age for admission to Class Ist for the academic year 2025-26 will be determined as of September 30, 2025, excluding the winter zones of the Jammu Division.
In an official circular, Additional Chief Secretary of the School Education Department, Shantmanu, noted that the Department has received numerous requests for clarification regarding the minimum age criteria for enrolling children in Nursery/Balvatika/Pre School/Anganwadi, particularly in light of the guidelines established by the National Education Policy (NEP) – 2020.
“The issue has been thoroughly reviewed in relation to the NEP-2020, which states that a child must be at least three years old to be eligible for admission into Nursery/Balvatika/Pre School/Anganwadi. However, due to the ongoing transitional phase of policy implementation, certain relaxations were granted during the previous two academic years, allowing children slightly below the required age to be admitted to Class 1,” the Additional Secretary explained.
Shantmanu further stated that, considering the need to accommodate students who were enrolled in Nursery during the 2022-23 academic session and are now eligible for Class 1 admission in 2025-26, a one-time relaxation will be permitted until September 30, 2025, for determining the minimum age for Class 1 admission. This relaxation will apply to all educational institutions in the Jammu Division, with the exception of the winter zones.
“The minimum age for admission to Class 1 for the academic session 2025-26 will be recognized as of September 30, 2025 (excluding winter zones of Jammu Division). All relevant educational institutions are instructed to comply with these guidelines to facilitate a smooth and efficient admission process,” he stated.
It is important to note that starting from the upcoming academic session, the minimum age for enrollment in Nursery/Balvatika/Pre-School/Anganwadi for the 2026-27 academic year will be determined as of 31st March of that year, in line with the guidelines set forth by the NEP-2020. No additional exemptions will be permitted. This regulation will apply to all institutions, with the exception of those located in the winter zones of the Jammu Division.
