SED relaxes age criteria for Class-1 admission for 2025-26

Srinagar: School Education Department Thursday granted one-time relaxation up to September-30 for reckoning the minimum age for admission to Class 1st for the students of Jammu division.
However, the department clarified that with effect from the academic session 2026-27 onwards, the minimum age for admission to Nursery, Balvatika, Pre-School, Anganwadi shall be reckoned as on 31st March of the concerned academic year.
Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) School Education Department Shantmanu in a communique said that the department has received representations—seeking clarity on the determination of the minimum age for admission of children into Nursery, Balvatika, Pre School and Anganwadi, particularly in the context of the provisions laid down in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
“The matter has been carefully examined with reference to the NEP-2020, which prescribes that a child seeking admission into Nursery, Balvatika, Pre School and Anganwadi should have completed the age of three years,” Shantmanu said.
He however further said that keeping in view the ongoing transitional phase of policy implementation, certain relaxations had been extended over the past two academic sessions. “These relaxations allowed children marginally short of the prescribed age to be admitted to Class 1st.”
“In view of the matter and considering the requirement to accommodate students enrolled in Nursery in Academic session 2022-23 who are due for admission into Class 1st in the academic session 2025-26, it has been decided that a one-time relaxation shall be granted up to 30th September, 2025, for reckoning the minimum age for admission to Class 1st,” Shantmanu said.
The financial commissioner further said that the relaxation shall apply to all educational institutions functioning in the Jammu Division, excluding the winter zones.
“Accordingly, the minimum age for admission to Class 1st for the academic session 2025-26 shall be reckoned as on 30th September, 2025 excluding winter zones of Jammu Division,” he said.
Shantmanu said that the concerned educational institutions are directed to strictly adhere to these instructions to ensure a smooth and hassle-free admission process.
“It is further clarified that with effect from the academic session 2026-27 onwards, the minimum age for admission to Nursery, Balvatika, Pre-School, Anganwadi shall be reckoned as on 31st March of the concerned academic year, in accordance with the provisions of the NEP-2020 and no further relaxation shall be granted,” he said adding, “This too shall be applicable to all institutions excluding the winter zones of the Jammu division.”